Moros: A Hard Boiled Hero
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Article by Matt Taylor
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Writer Joshua Lucas and artist Tamal Saha have been hard at work to bring the world their first comic, Moros: A Hard Boiled Hero. Since their few successful crowdfunding drives they managed to bring Lucas’ story to life, with the first issue brooding on every page. But while the art style and direction speaks for itself, the storyline and plot seem to be plucked from comic book, television and movie fiction, blurring the line between an tribute and a cliché.
The comic is dark, violent and shows off the unique style of Saha, whose black and white colour scheme and heavy lines drew me in when I layed eyes on the first issue at this years New York Comic Con. The story of Moros blurs the lines between a tribute to detective fiction and a story full of clichés. As a disgruntled police detective who sees corruption in his once great city, Edward Knight decides to take the fight to the criminals as the masked vigilante, Moros. Using “Juice”, the street drug now plaguing Bay City, Ed Knight dons a black mask to fight crime in a drug induced, superhuman flurry. The action is fast and violent, but the sections between are classically drawn and the story ripped straight out of a detective movie. The foul mouthed detective; the corrupt police commissioner; the peppy side kick. As a veteran of an unnamed conflict, Edward Knight even suffers from PTSD. This feels like the double sided blade for Moros: A Hard Boiled Hero. I love the art style, with the use of shadows and heavy lines reminiscent of old Commando Comics and The Phantom, but with so many cliché story elements, I could see Moros struggling to get a foothold in an already saturated market. I like the classic story line, even if we’ve heard it all before. Sometimes it’s comforting to have something new feel so familiar. Moros: A Hard Boiled Hero is a great achievement for the team of Lucas and Saha, and I look forward to seeing where they take us next. You can find more information on Moros: A Hard Boiled Hero at https://www.facebook.com/MorosAHardBoiledHero |
