The Helix – Issue #1
Script/Lettering: Ryan O’ Connor
Art/Colour: Naomi Bolger
Publisher: Self published
Price: €4
Taking a breather from my marathon play of Guild Wars 2, I settled in to read but found myself completely lacking in new material until I remembered I’d kept some new comics aside in my bedside locker, so with a mug of coffee I drew ‘The Helix’ from the pile fully aware it had been some weeks since it was launched at ArcadeCon 2012. Regardless of my late review and breaking a promise to the creators of a review as soon as possible, I settled in for my first read.
The Helix surrounds the lives of Brendan, Claire, Kyle, Louise, Robert and Susan, a group of friends all in their teens (with the exception of Louise, 12yr old kid sister to Claire), whiling away another sunny day in the Park, the group are blissfully unaware of catastrophic events occurring only a few blocks away that is until the chaos comes to meet them face on and it becomes obvious straight away that this is no ordinary group of friends. Their Saturday plans are interrupted by none other than a trio of super villains, made up of, Atom who upon arrival blew up Kyle, Hellstrike and Esper who are locked in battle with another super powered individual, Trident. Quickly recovering from his…death… Kyle reappears (oh he has healing powers!) the friends are engaged by Atom who after learning they are also mutants offers the teens a chance to join her group ‘Complex’ and this appears to be focal point of the story in the first issue – taking sides.
Without spoiling what the group decide let’s carry on with the review…
Straight off the bat, The Helix is a fantastic piece, it’s funny, it’s clever, it is cheeky, fresh and colourful, it knows exactly what it is and it plays up to that fact. It draws on familiar feelings you get when you watch cartoons from your early childhood, it is awash with a sense of nostalgia and you are left with the impression that the people behind the comic know exactly where they are taking it.
Initially the group dialogue seems a little forced and a little corny with Louise, Brendan and Claire discussing ice-cream but that’s quickly interrupted by Kyle discussing his latest conquest and the comic kicks it up a notch with some serious tongue in cheek humour that manages to maintain itself without wearing thin after the first few quips. It doesn’t rely heavily on this mind you, The Helix is smarter than sex jokes and couples humour with self explanatory panels that work so well together (i.e. Kyle’s fantastic death scene!). In terms of characters, two stand out amongst this issue, Louise, the 12 yr old telekinetic mutant with an attitude as big as her powers but in terms of likeability and stealing the show, Atom, villainess extreme, takes the gold. Her wit remarks, flashy entrance and her penchant for going over the top quickly draw your focus away from everything else and despite wanting to kill the main cast by having her comrade hurl a massive tree at them you tend to like her… a lot!
In terms of the artwork, The Helix is colourful, cute and intelligently laid out, as already mentioned artist and writer work together fantastically to create jokes that work both in terms of the dialogue and the scene depicted. Panels are jumbled between small blocks and larger focuses and it’s in these spaces that Bolger’s true talent lies, creating brilliant expressions, maniacal grins, sly smiles and mischievous glares all further the story and help maintain the humour and life of The Helix.
The Helix is an unpretentious, hilarious rollercoaster and this is just the first issue. Bolger and O’ Connor have started something new and innovative and both themselves in their late teens are already showing remarkable talent (unbiased journalism right here, folks) and flair for creating their own worlds filled with loveable villains and mischievous twelve year old heroines. It’s not Shakespeare and it’s not Monet, The Helix doesn’t pretend to be either, it doesn’t have to, it’s The Helix and it’s good enough to stand on it’s own comic book merit.
The Helix is available in Forbidden Planet Dublin and Dublin City Comics for €4
Helix Facebook Page
We’ll keep you posted on updates surrounding forthcoming issues!
Editor-in-Chief, part-time super villain and hoarder of cats. If you can’t find me writing, I’m probably in the kitchen!
