ABOVE SNAKES #1 (Spoiler-free Review)

ABOVE SNAKES #1 is here! And there’s a lot to unpack in this first issue. I wanna fawn over Sean Lewis and Hayden Sherman teaming up again (if you haven’t read Thumbs, you are doing comics wrong!). However, we need to try and dig into what is sure to be another rollercoaster gem of a ride from Lewis’ pen. 

We start off in the Genesis Deseret in 1866. We are introduced to our hero and all-around badass, Dirt, and his bird Speck. As Dirt seems to be down and out, it’s Speck that gives him the “push” needed to get up and continue his plan of unbridled rage in the name of revenge. As you learn more about his situation, you come to root for and support his cause, and in pure Lewis fashion, every panel is filled with more twists and turns than Lombard St. in San Francisco. However, it would be an injustice not to give well-deserved and proper credit to Hayden Sherman and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou! The way Hassan brings life to Dirt’s inner monologue is magnificent in presentation and execution. Sherman’s art tells the story in gritty hues that reflect not only the time but captures the raw emotion of the story. Even if this was a silent book, Hayden Sherman’s portrayal of Dirt’s story would still be told with passion.   

As with any Sean Lewis book, you know that what you read is not what’s going on. The story takes place in 1866, and could we see a mash-up of real-world events make an appearance? It’s Sean Lewis, so anything is possible! There are definitely metaphors in the story that could be applied to modern issues, but the great thing about ABOVE SNAKES is that while entertaining, it gets your mind, conscience, and soul involved, and that is what makes a story great.