We review indie comic "The Samaritan"
The Samaritan:
Written by Victor Dandridge
Art by Ren McKinzie
The Samaritan, a comic book published by the independent Vantage InHouse Productions, is an absolute amazing title. The title first came to my attention when I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Victor Dandridge, the CEO of Vantage InHouse Productions, at Wizard World Comic Con Portland Oregon earlier this year, as he explained each of his titles. While all of them seemed very interesting, I knew that The Samaritan was the one I was most excited to read.
The art is absolutely fantastic, very detailed while remaining simplistic. The color in the first issue is all blue, black and white, and the next two issues the color is just black and white. This sparseness of color, with the detail in the actual drawing, really puts you in that feeling of the place depicted. Run down, dirty, and in need of saving, the people in this comic aren’t colorful, or goofy. This comic lets you know the story it is telling not just in the words, not just in the drawing itself, but in how the color pallet chosen. Truly one of the better series I have read lately in just this department alone.
The Samaritan follows an individual, Mr. Smith, as he is moving into a new neighborhood. He laments how much he hates “moving day”, and how humans as a species were sick, as we see many unsavory things happening around him. As he is about to walk into his room, the buildings land lord stops him, and tells him he can get him any drug he wants, when Mr. Smith blatantly rejects the mans offer he snaps that rent is due on the first of the month, no exceptions. The first issue ends with Mr. Smith’s intentions becoming clear, as he saves a child from a terrible fate, he plans on saving this neighborhood, one person at a time.
The next issue is mainly of two people talking about the incident of the previous issue, and of the man who did it. We got hints in this and the last issue, that the man has super powers and the affect his actions are having on the people in this apartment complex. It is a very thought provoking issue, as it deals with the people he is trying to save, and how much they really do need saving. The issue ends with a thug being shown tied up, with a sign telling the police to arrest him, as Mr. Smith continues his work.
The third issue was probably my favorite of the three, and opens up to a inner monologue from Mr. Smith as we see him flying. He is telling some unknown person, that they probably will never meet, but that he hopes that next time he saves someone, that it is them he gets to save. It is incredibly powerful to read off the page as for the first time he serious shows off his powers on panel, in an attempt to not only save someone’s life, but their soul. This issue is honestly one, that at the end of it, will stick with me for years to come.
I cannot recommend this title enough, and I can promise there will be more reviews of both this series, and other series from this publication to come in the future. This goes beyond a simple story of a super hero, to the tale of a man. This man has incredible powers, and he uses these powers not to fight some big super villain trying to destroy or take over the world, but to help every person he can. He wants to save us, from the horrors of this world, and from ourselves. That in itself makes this title truly stand out, and I sincerely hope you go read this title for yourself.
