Writer: David Lee
Artists: Gilbert Monsanto(p, c), Alejandro Sicat(i)
Publisher: Saturn Comics
The Saints is a rare independently produced super-hero book. The tone however reminds one of the pre-Crisis DCU, and you know as far as I'm concerned that can never be a bad thing.
For an independent, The Saints in terms of both artwork and writing offer the reader surprising quality. While certainly the art could use some more attention--where overly long necks are concerned--the designs for the characters are pleasing to the eye, and the overall style tries and usually succeeds to be anatomically correct. The stiffness usually associated with amateur productions is not present here, and the story and art flow without a hiccup effortlessly from panel to panel.
The characters quickly take on lives of their own and persuade you to care. Though there are no female heroes in the group, the relative youth of the Saints makes for a sensible reason to explain the gender bias, and it's nice to see a group of heroes who are not jerks or worse.
The book is refreshingly optimistic, but there are real-world consequences to the Saints' actions, and a number of clever twists take the plot in different directions. Predictable moments are actually examples of foreshadowing and cleverness on the part of the characters.
I did not expect much from The Saints and expected fully that the art represented by the cover shown in Previews would not be found anywhere in the book, but I was pleasantly surprised. As DC becomes grimmer and grimmer with power drill tortures and rape, The Saints may very well be a viable alternative for those who like super-heroes.
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