Skinbreaker #1: A Strange New World

Robert Kirkman (Invincible) is one of the most respected and recognizable names in modern comics, and for good reason. Like in many of his past projects, Kirkman pens a world that is both unique and somehow oddly familiar.

The story of the first issue of Skinbreaker is simple and reminiscent of stories many have told before but is backed by an implied mythology and deep rooted sense of tribal tradition that makes the world pop and feel like something unique you’re seeing for the very first time.

While the world itself feels lived in, what truly makes it come alive are the characters that inhabit it. Character relationships are one of Kirkman’s strong suits, especially in the father-son dynamics which Kirkman is famous for (Omni-Man/Mark in Invincible, Rick/Carl in The Walking Dead). Unlike most first issues, we get quite a lot out of Skinbreaker’s characters in just one issue.

Anok is the competent son whose close bond with his father, Enor, the current chieftain of their tribe, makes him reluctant to take his place and all too ready to ignore his aging body in a world full of savagery where any weakness is treated as shameful. Thul is a no-nonsense warrior with a “might makes right” mentality and is caught up on the worth of bloodlines and his own rise to power. Each character is a clear product of their environment and is doing what they individually think is right but will no doubt end up driving each of them apart.

As for their environment, some vague but easy to figure out in-world terminology like “Shard bearer” is thrown around naturally through dialogue at various points in the issue and manages not to slow down the flow. Instead, the invented terms enhance the worldbuilding, as what the story doesn’t outright explain is instead clarified through David Finch’s artwork (more on that later).

The titular “skinbreaker” is clearly a kind of MacGuffin (an item that the story revolves around). It serves as a notorious weapon and a tool used in an important ceremony that only takes place once a year, which is crucial to the survival of the tribe.

From the first page to the last, I was never lost, but there were moments where I was waiting for the inevitable to happen. Some events are easily signposted for longtime comic fans, creating a predictability that ultimately weakens the suspense.

David Finch (The New Avengers) brings the strange world of Skinbreaker to life with art that is both huge in its scale and in its complexity. Winding tree branches and thick grasses intertwine to create a majestic forest floor that seems bottomless. Finch uses several double-spread pages that give scenes a cinematic quality as if you’re watching the motion play out in real time.

There are several small details hidden in the background of each page (especially the double spreads), such as the tiny creatures that run around the forest or the hieroglyphs carved on walls of the caves in the tribal settlement where a significant portion of the issue takes place.

The colorist, Annalisa Leoni (Star Wars: The High Republic), uses earthy tones to further enhance Finch’s artwork, using a color palette that matches the strangeness and the savagery of the world imagined by Kirkman and brought to life by Finch.

Rus Wooton (Fantastic Four) brings oval-shaped speech bubbles reminiscent of Japanese manga. Wooton’s letters flow easily and accelerate the pacing from page to page, making exchanges flow like natural conversations rather than scripted rehearsals.

The artwork is incredible in its composition and presentation, but dense and at times overwhelming, which can slow down the reading. There were moments where I had to reread a page twice or even three times to get a full grasp of what was going on. These rereads also weakened the tension between characters, as I had more time and chances to predict what might happen next.

For example, a single exchange between two characters, Anok and Thul, early in the issue was crowded by small pieces of clutter in the scene that distracted from their conversation.