Scott Story: story and art
Benita Story: story, letters and edits
Publisher: Story Studios
Have you seen that commercial where the guy is painted from head to toe in the colors of his favorite team? I think it's a soap commercial. His girlfriend leaves a message on his answering machine saying she's coming over and bringing her parents. Naturally he freaks and jumps in the shower to rub off the body paint. Then the parents arrive with the girl at his door and they are all painted. Thing is, I guessed that was about to happen halfway through the darn thing.
This illustrates the problem of originality, or lack of it. It's hard to be original these days, but that's an ailment Johnny Saturn does not suffer from. It's easily one of the most original comics I've read in quite sometimes, and it's also one of the best indy comics I have ever read. Originally a web comic updated through Komikwerks.com, its creators describe it as a strange mix of mythology, demonology and 19th century romanticism. I think it's the protagonist himself, a throwback to the pulp heroes of yesteryear which gives the comic its edge. That and the superbly crafted artwork and concepts by the husband and wife team of Scott and Benita Story whose Spire city milieu, reminiscent of Image's Paragon City, is the perfect setting for the convergence of all these unique elements though it's certainly also influenced by seminal works such as Sin City and Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns.
Through three issues, we get to know these characters and what makes them tick. A brawl between Saturn and Utopian in issue #1 reminded me a lot of the conflicts between the morally centered Superman and the more militant methods of Batman and their frequent ideological clashes. However, this gets interrupted by the machinations of Dr. Synn, the perfect antithesis to Saturn, bent on chaos but executing his plans with a sense of decorum and style. Synn is as much a throwback as the heroes he does battle with. The issue ends with the anticipated confrontation between Saturn and the Squadron Premiere. The second issue throws the reader for a loop by killing off its protagonist! Yet, that only leads the story into very interesting paranormal avenues which allow it to reconstruct the superhero genre into something more than its confined clichés and its sometimes trite conventions.
With inviting cover visuals (the best of which is the rugged countenance of Saturn gritting at the reader through his cowl on the inaugural issue surrounded by a plethora of weird creatures) a compelling narrative, better than average artwork, and character bios at the end of every issue, Saturn is a tour de force and well worth reading.
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