Graphic Novel Review: Crazy Mary by Michael Colbert

Crazy Mary by Michael Colbert (story), J.L. Woodward (cover,art), William Blankenship (art), Ryan Sergeant (art), Josh Finney (editor), and Kat Rocha (editor)

Publisher: 01 Publishing

Publication Date: March 5, 2013

Edition: Paperback, 84 pages

Genre: Graphic Novel, Cyberpunk

Rating: 3/5 Rating

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Nothing special, but this was fun and funny!

Backcover:

Crazy Mary is a freelancer, a cybernetically enhanced bad-ass for hire, living and working the mean streets of tomorrow’s New York. What sets Mary apart from the average hired gun are her visions. Mary sees an eerie haunting world that exists over top the one we know. She also has a trinity of spirit guides who speak to her, protect her, and are ultimately guiding her toward…well, it’s best not to tell yet. Mary and her team do all the dirty jobs — bounty hunting, bodyguards, and even the occasional suicide run. Also, they may possibly be unwitting soldiers in an invisible war that’s heavy on the Lovecraft overtones. Or Mary could just be insane and dragging her friends along for the ride.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion and review

After my first experience with 01 Publishing’s World War Kaiju (my review), I was extremely skeptical and hesitant to read another work from them. However, I could not have been more wrong. Now, the story is nothing special, but it is fast-paced and entertaining; it has its funny moments, and it even delves into some philosophical life topics. When I finished this, I found myself wishing the story hadn’t ended yet.

Mary is a cyber-genetically enhanced ex-military, who, after a military experiment gone wrong, gained the ability to see things other cannot.

After saving a child from kidnappers, Mary goes out to grab a cup of coffee where Roswell appears. He tells her that in mere minutes everyone is the cafe will die and it is up to her if she wants to do anything. Her decision then causes her to find a crystal encoded with secret information which will then lead her to an organization called God’s Army and the bomb they plan on using.

When I said I wished that this story kept going on it was for two reasons: one was because I was enjoying, but the other was because the story felt so brief. Believe it or not, that synopsis I just wrote, takes us up to the 5th of 6 chapters – which is just about halfway page count.

The first chapter is just Mary finding that girl, while our narrator explain to us a little bit about Mary. The second chapter is literally 3 pages where all we do is meet the other members of her crew, Tweek and Glimmer. Then three is the coffee shop where she talks to Roswell. Chapter four is her running away form some people who want the crystal she has just found, and THEN, in chapter 5, is when she gets a call from someone named Hugo and finds out about the bomb. This is where I would say the story actually starts. And the fact that this chapter is essentially the whole last half of the graphic novel (like 40 pages worth), I’d say I am right.

This isn’t to say those first 4 chapters, or the last one, are bad, but they were so brief and shallow! I got enough information to understand who Mary was, the personalities of the other members in her crew, and that their is a weird situation with Roswell and the things Mary sees, but it was the bare minimum when we could have spend so much more time on it! I honestly think that each of those first chapter could easily have been made into a single issue length (30 pages). You could keep the story length the same in each issue, just give me more character development! I want see to more of how the Mary, Tweek, and Glimmer work together! Give me more conversation with Roswell! The actions scenes were great and the pace of the story is so fast, but, again, so brief and it was too right-to-the-point. Break that up a little bit!

What was really cool about all these chapters though, is that each chapter has either a different artist or a different art style!!!! I thought that was so freaking awesome! The first three chapters are by J.K. Woodward, and then it goes William Blankenship for chapters 4 and six, and Ryan Sergeant has chapter 6. Best of all though was that I was fan of each of the different art styles! I have added three different art styles (chapters) to this review for you to see the differences (all from chapter by J.K. Woodward).

As for the story itself, I’ll say it again, nothing special, but you will not be bored with it. The plot truly is non-stop, constantly driving the story forward, and there are some moments in it where I legitimately laughed out loud because the moments was so completely random! XD

But adding to my complaint of this story not diving deeper into certain things, was the philosophical topics. The story brings up and discuss the topic of free choice, how one comes to a decision, and even the meaning of existence and what one’s purpose in life is. That’s some deep stuff. The story does actually gives answers to these questions, but they only scratch the surface! It just gives a bare minimum, right-to-the-point answer, and then moves the plot on.

So, in the end, I really wish this story was longer! What the graphic novel has here is good, but this could have been great. When I finished, it felt like only the bare minimum was done, not to get by, but because the writer wanted to fit so much into such a little space.

If there is a second volume to this story, I would probably pick it. I only hope that the story doesn’t progress as far, because we’re to busy exploring some other aspects of the story, besides the plot, plot, and plot.

3/5 Rating

-DJ

Date Read: 03/07/2016
Review Written: 03/07/2016