Curb Stomp #1

by Ryan Ferrier, Devaki Neogi & Neil Lalonde

It’s no secret now that BOOM! has been killing it when it comes to mini-series lately. Now they are also growing a reputation of being a place where up-and-coming creators are given a place to shine. You can see both of those aspects at play in the debut issue of Curb Stomp this week. The girls of Old Beach are a gang called Fever. Now the other two gangs that encompass the big city have decided to take the Fever ladies out of the equation, but these girls aren’t going down without a fight.

Curb Stomp takes place in a vague setting which gives the story a timeless quality. Each of the five girls in Fever have their own unique personalities which is laid out in the beginning of the issue. The way writer Ryan Ferrier (D4VE) introduced each of the girls was very simplistic and effective. Sometimes writers tend to be a little corny with the dialog in stories like Curb Stomp but Ferrier delivers excellent interactions in this book. Ferrier did a fantastic job of both initiate readers into the story while setting up the plot for Curb Stomp.

Another thing you can attribute to each of the five Fever members distinctive looks is their designs. Artist Devaki Neogi is able to make each character in this issue stand out and give Curb Stomp it’s eerie tone. Neogi’s art has a simplistically real look to it but seems inconsistent at times. The action scenes in particular look a little awkward and almost cartoonish. Neogi’s facial expressions also feel a little flat too but this just might be this artists’ style. Neil Lalonde’s colors were very vibrant and made Curb Stomp fun to look at. Lalonde’s palette also helps assists Neogi’s art in giving Curb Stomp its unusual look.

This was a pretty good start for Curb Stomp and its creative team. Being a series from relatively unknown creators, this first issue was a fun surprise. Curb Stomp is not for everyone, but it’s a pretty straightforward story.  With Curb Stomp being only four issue long, it’s just sheer entertainment to sit back and enjoy a good old-fashioned gang war.