Mara #1 Review - Brian Wood and Ming Doyle

Imagine a world obsessed with physical perfection and war, a world not far removed from today where society holds one thing and one thing only above all else - volleyball? Yes, Brian Wood has given the comics world what we€™ve all been hungering for since Roy of the Rovers ended, a volleyball comic set in the future. And, actually, it€™s quite good. Mara Prince is seventeen and the hottest celebrity on the planet thanks largely to her ability to hit a ball over a net better than anyone else. Her amazing ability wins her literally billions in cash and millions of fans worldwide - but not everyone is seemingly in adoration of her and by the end of this first issue Mara will become famous but for something other than volleyball. Mara is worth reading for being a volleyball comic alone, but when the writer of DMZ, Northlanders and Conan is doing it, it becomes doubly interesting. Brian Wood writes a solid introductory issue to this futuristic world that doesn€™t seem very futuristic-y when you go back and look at it. It definitely feels more advanced than today but looks actually quite plausible - that€™s the world in 20 years? Yeah, maybe. It definitely doesn€™t look like Star Trek. That€™s thanks in no small part to the brilliantly named art team of Ming Doyle and Jordie Bellaire who do a great job drawing and colouring the comic. I especially liked Doyle€™s ability to render facial expressions so precisely and Bellaire€™s colours to the city shots add to the otherworldly feel to it. If you€™re in the mood for something a bit different with good writing and art, check out Mara - an intriguingly unusual and highly creative comic.