Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Morning Glories #1Morning Glories #1
Image Comics
Spencer, Eisma, Esquejo

Morning Glories is a comic book that immediately smells and feels like a comic book that is similar to the idea behind the X-Men. The premise is that gifted high school aged students are selected for enrollment into a special academy. However, the academy is not anything that appears to be good for the students as the comic book quickly veers off any path that might be confused as one similar to the X-Men. This issue establishes some of the key students of the current crop of enrollees and sets up the mystery and danger that the academy seems to hold. It's a very good idea, story and execution for an oversized opening issue.

The comic book opens with a class of students that reveals a bit of a confrontation between a student and the teacher. The interaction quickly turns into a hidden act of rebellion on behalf of a couple of other students. The results immediately establish something sinister at the school and with the teacher.

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle ReviewsThe opening scene is really everything you need to know about the artwork. In this sequence of an explosion and the subsequent chase you get a fluid set of panels that doesn't skip any of the key elements of conveying the action, but doesn't add unnecessary panels simply to lengthen the chase. We get detailed artwork that allows the pages to be "silent" and yet clear. The art also takes the haunting images and makes them digestible rather than grotesque, considering the material. The opening sequence also manages to bring a look to the female teacher that is reminiscent of the Queen from Snow White. She's beautiful but untrustworthy. I enjoyed the visuals throughout the book.

The bulk of the remainder of the issue is introducing the new recruit class. Basically, there is a mix of characters. There is the goody-goody girl, the distant girl that appears to have stalked her previous teacher and a few others. The characters check into the school and quickly realize they all have the same birthday. Other events unfold that makes them think something bizarre is up with the academy. The ending is very shocking but it was slightly confusing.

Without spoiling the shock ending I can say that there are a couple of characters displayed on the final page whose identities were not immediately apparent to me. Now, mind you I read a pdf of the issue which probably didn't help but I also think that because we had some brief introductions of the characters in the beginning there wasn't enough time to become fully vested in these two particular ones. Still, it's a good ending regardless despite my momentary second of confusion where I said, "who are they?"

If you like some conspiracy mixed with some elements of horror then you might like this issue. Because it's a Nick Spencer book you know you will get entertained and you will be taken on a ride that will yank you in one direction and then another. Don't be fooled thinking this is an X-Men derivative because it is not. The book is a promising start to the series and I definitely recommend picking this up.

4 out of 5 Geek Goggles