S.H.O.O.T. First #4

by Justin Aclin & Nicolas Daniel Selma

Right now we are in the middle of a resurgence in the comics industry. For fans and readers it can be both satisfying and overwhelming but for creators it makes it a little bit harder to be heard in a large crowd. S.H.O.O.T. First is an entertaining mini-series that got lost in the hype of other books which is too bad because it’s got fun concept that opens things up for these creators to do whatever they like.

The main concept of S.H.O.O.T. First is covert group who battles monsters that prey on people’s religious beliefs. These monsters are called “outside actors” and they can take on the form of an assorted about of fictional creatures from angels to dragons. Using this method means that the creators can use almost any kind of monster or creature they want in the series and still be able to keep it in the boundaries of this story. Issue four is the last issue for this series (for now) but writer Justin Aclin leaves plenty of room to return if he was inclined to. For an ending this issue was smart in giving a feeling of a finished cohesive story but still leaving room for future growth if needed.

The art in this series has looked consistently bright and powerful. The art has a subtle and simple approach that is complimented by rich colors that made every page a joy to look at. Also because of the premise of the story it gives artist Nicolas Daniel Selma an opportunity to draw all sorts of creatures without it feeling like a monsters getting shoehorned in just because they look cool. Besides all the fun monster designs in this series all of the characters themselves have their own unique designs and qualities that make each stand out and relatable to the reader.

S.H.O.O.T. First is a fun story that balances both quirky fun and an understated story about religion all rolled up in a monster fighting comic series. There is something in this series for everyone and for only being four issues long, most of the characters were all fleshed out decently without feeling like pointless cliché back stories that slow down the pacing. Everything flows well and makes for a pleasingly smooth read while still balancing all of the main elements you want in a story. Trying to juggle all of those things into four issues is no easy task but this series pulls it off well. It will be interesting to see what these creators work on next but I wouldn’t be mad if they decided to return to this series in the future.