Forty-Five 45
Written By: Andi Ewington
Illustrated by: Various Artists
Published by: Com.x
Website: http://thefortyfivecomic.blogspot.com/

PRE-ORDER CODE: OCT090823 – 45 (FORTY-FIVE) GN

Forty-Five is a completely different kind of comic. It’s part of a new breed that seems to thrive on originality while striving to maintain a quality that is superior to most main stream comics. You are going to walk away from this comic shaking your head wondering why it hasn’t been done before.

Forty-Five’s concept is pretty cool. Instead of a single plotline we get 45 single page stories and single page illustrations to accompany those stories. “Forty-Five” is set in a world much like our own, except in this reality people can be born with superpowers. We begin with a super baby’s birth. We watch the child fly around the room, listening to the father’s narration of the event while being interviewed (We will talk more about that interview thing later). From there we run the gambit of strange and sometimes sad superhero stories that all weave and connect together in one way or another, and in the end leave you to form your own opinions of a world filled with the fantastical. This “what would a world with superheroes really be like?” idea has been done before, we all know that. Go and read any of Alan Moore’s stuff and you’ll walk away with a healthy dose of the old “what if?” shtick. The point is that this basic idea commonly leads down a well tread path. Forty-Five uses this well worn worn plot device and successfully makes this story work. Much is left to our imagination. The story allows us to put this puzzle together by ourselves, all the while filling us to the brim with little details that are commonly overlooked. You never feel as if you are being talked down to, which sadly is an uncommon trait for a graphic novel. With all that in mind here is my breakdown.

The Plot:

Forty-Five is a series of Superhero interviews documented by James Stanley. As a soon-to-be father, James wants to find out what lies in store for his family if his unborn child turns out to have a Superpower. Forty-Five features Forty-Five different industry artists, all having just one page to capture the essence of each interview.

The Writer: Andi Ewington

Andi has written an incredible story. My hat is off to you Mr. Ewington. Forty-Five could not have been an easy book to write since you only spend the length of an interview with each new character. Surprisingly I felt connected to many of the 45 stories running through these pages. I was expecting this tale to be hit and miss at best. I was wrong. Andi’s creative style, captivating characters, and stand out writing made the stories of Forty-Five sing.

The Artists: Which one?

There are 45 different artists, one for each page. You end up with page after page of cover quality illustrations. There isn’t a single illustrated page in this book that I didn’t marvel over. If you are one of the artists and you are reading this, please forgive me for not mentioning your name here. If it’s any consolation I think you did a fantastic job.

The Verdict:
You will not find a better graphic novel than Forty-Five this year. I don’t think I can say it better than that.