Wildfire #1
Writer: Matt Hawkin
Artist: Linda Sejic
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Editor: Betsy Gonia
Cover By: Linda Sejic
Variant Cover By: Stjepan Sejic
Publisher: Top Cow Productions
On Sale: June 11, 2014
Price: $3.99
Format: FC
Is genetically modified food an end to world hunger or a first class ticket to the apocalypse? Dan Miller is a plant biologist working with a small team perfecting an accelerated plant growth process. When things go wrong, Los Angeles pays the price in a disaster story unlike any before.
When I first heard that Matt Hawkins was writing a new book focusing on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) I was curious. Could he pull this off the way he did with Think Tank? Could he write a story about a topic that has been so muddied with half truths? I had no concerns that he could and would do the research to dig out details that most of us might never hear about, but could he present them in an entertaining manner just as he does with the topics in Think Tank? The answers are Yes, Yes and most definitely YES.
What does Hawkins have to say about why he is writing this book?
Wildfire came out of an obsession I had researching genetically modified food,” said Hawkins. “When I discovered that both pro and con are shamelessly lying and covering up facts I wanted to do something fun, but rooted in the core science of what they’re doing and the debate. This is basically a disaster story unlike any before!
The story opens up with scenes that to many Southern Californians hit a little bit to close to home. Especially as it was only a few weeks ago that the world watched news reports of 9 wildfires burning in San Diego area. It was like watching the opening credits to a disaster film based on real world events.
Could Linda Sejic deliver art of a caliber to support one of Matt’s stories? Could she make it entertaining while still maintaining the seriousness of what was the core topics of the story? Her art is beautiful, vibrant while infusing humor through the facial expressions of the characters. I look forward to enjoying more of Linda’s art bringing Matt’s latest characters and story to life.
Considering I have loved so many of the latest books coming from Top Cow I have held off writing this review as long as I could. I was fortunate enough to have had a very early look at this book, so have gone back to it on multiple occasions to make sure that my reaction would hold up. To make sure that it wasn’t just the excitement of new characters, new stories, new art by some very talented people that was making me excited about this book.
Instead of my excitement dimming with multiple readings it has only reinforced my anticipation of the next issue. Once again Matt is bringing a book to the fans that discussed a very timely topic but does it in a way that leaves the reader not only entertained but also enlightened. Though this book doesn’t have a tag line the way Think Tank does, reading it will make you smarter, especially if you don’t skip the Science Class at the end of the book. I find the inclusion of this section in Matt’s books to be a big plus. It brings home the fact that this isn’t all just a story that has been made up. No it is rooted once again in fact and science and the Science Class pages does the job of explaining the science and facts in a manner that the non-scientific minded among us can grasp the concepts and even follow the breadcrumb trail of links that Matt sets out for those wanting to follow it themselves.
With Wildfire Matt Hawkins and Linda Sejic are brewing up the formula for an explosive new series. Once again I will be adding a Top Cow book to the Must Read list. This is a book I have already been recommending not only to my friends that already enjoy comics, but also to those trying to get a handle on the GMO pros and cons as they decide on the foods for their households.
Final Score: 9/10
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