Review -- 13

13
Art by Sachis Borisich & Donnie Odulio
Written by Dani Dixon
Tumble Creek Press
Wow! How is that for fate. This is the 13th week of this review column, and I'm reviewing the first three issues of the series 13. There's some weird kismet in that you would think.
So what do you get with 13?
Well, writer Dani Dixon has created an interesting take on a world where superpowers are common place, at least for a year in everyone's life. When a child turns 13 he manifests powers, which apparently are only suppose to last a year, although the book hints that may not always be the case.
Now I recall when my two kids were 13, and the thought of them having superpowers at that age is scary – no make that horrifying.
Becoming a teenager is a rather difficult time for children in our mundane world as they start the process of evolving from kids to adults. Add in the prospect of dealing with the ability to telekinetically move objects, or being able to start fires with a thought, and you have the prospect of a world in chaos.
Dixon said her initial goal was to create a superpower book with a different approach.
“Well no 'capes and tights' was definitely in my head,” she said. “There aren’t any secret identities either. With a few exceptions, everything is out in the open - what your power is, how you’ve used it, what the world thinks of what you’ve done.”
In Dixon's world parents actually take a year off in order to supervise their 13s. That makes some sense of course, although any parent will know that controlling a young teen all the time is impossible. Imagine a temper tandem where the 13-year-old can throw the chesterfield with a thought.
The storyline also hints that 13s who do not cause too much damage to the world become more highly sought in terms of career and school in the future, although the details of how that exactly works is not clear in the first three issues. That said, it certainly creates more pressure on the 13s and their parents through the year of power.
The storyline is pretty unique, however, three issues into the story, the pacing is a little slow.
I recognize Dixon is trying to set the mundane world around the 13s, but we all live that mundane world, so that we know.
It may be a case of associating superpowers with superhero comics, but you are left wishing for a bit more action along the way here.
Dixon has a course which starts at point 'A' and is following a rather deliberate course. She would have been better served at times to step forward in time with a bit more action, then filling in a few blanks with a flashback at some future time in the series.
Still, the story is interesting enough you want to stick around to see what the real story of the 13s is, although more action would make the desire to stick around stronger.
Dixon though makes no apologies for the pacing of the book.
“The story dictated it,” she said. “13 is not about one hero facing one villain in an alley. It’s about opening up this entire civilization. Doing that means you can’t front load issue #1 with every character and some issues will have huge payoffs and others will have smaller ones.”
The unique approach to powers and the way the story is rolling out may create a slightly different audience for 13.
“I’ve met a lot of people who wouldn’t consider themselves comic book readers, who can get into the story,” said Dixon. “Some of that is the lack of 'capes & tights', although some people really prefer that, but it is truly serialized, which appeals to people who want to be taken on a journey.”
As for the art, the colours are what strike you first. Bright and bold colours absolutely fly off the page in 13, and that draws interest.
As for style, Sacha Borisich does a nice job with a fairly realistic approach to the world of 13, although I wouldn't say the art is strong enough to sell the book on its own.
The use of glossy paper certainly adds to the book as well, giving in an upscale 'feel'.
Dixon said Borisich has been with the project basically from day one.
“Sacha actually started working on the series when we were doing the ashcan (a small format teaser for the series),” said Dixon. “A couple of years ago, I wanted to have a preview/Issue #0 for Comic-Con. Sacha was the clean up artist on that book -- the ashcan was penciled and colored, but not inked, every issue thereafter was inked. Then she inked the first book. An artist out of Northern California, Donnie Odulio, penciled that one. Sacha inked and co-penciled issue #2 and then issue #3 was all her - pencils and inks.”
Dixon said she feels Borisich's style fits the 13 story.
“I think she’s really great at what’s referred to sometimes as ‘character acting.’ The expressions she comes up with are specific, and age appropriate - which is key when so many of the main characters are minors,” said Dixon. “She’s also good at creating images that really nail the models for each character.”
In the end, an interesting storyline, and solid art combine in 13 to make it worth a closer look.
Dixon said she is proud of the book, which has met her expectations.
“It has. I remember distinctly standing at my printer’s, reaching in the box to pull out, issue #1 for the first time,” she said. “I knew it was going to be 100 lb paper and glossy, and I edited every iteration of the art - pencils, inks and colors, but it still very different to get it ‘hot off the press’ that first time.”
The story of 13 will be ingoing, and Dixon said there is much more to tell in terms of the world and the 13s.
“ They all have very different paths and yet, I’m hopefully telling what is a cohesive larger story,” she said. “Simon, for example, starts off, pretty much as bad as you can imagine. Writing his arc has really been a pleasure, and a challenge. It can't be a simple redemption arc though, because this is a world where it's guaranteed that you will face the consequences of all of your actions.”
Check it out at www.TumbleCreekPress.com where Dixon noted you will find almost everything regarding 13.
“You can buy the books and merchandise, it’ll tell you our touring/appearance schedule. There are trailers, and soon there will be podcasts and some other cool things,” she said.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton Ths Week WebXtra