An animation-inspired sci-fi one-shot comic, Commander Rao pulls no punches.
This indie comic is all about a soldier who has gone for the throat, after a decade of war against the despot Baron Klaus. What are the wages of war, what is the price of death and violence? What does a hero leave as a legacy?
Written, drawn, and coloured by Fell Hound (Do You Believe In An Afterlife?), a queer Asian-Canadian cartoonist from Toronto, Commander Rao is intentionally intense in its fight scenes, with page after page of action-packed battles. The intro gives us the scoop, the what’s what, in the form of a newspaper article extolling the bravery of Rao, born Kasey Elizabeth Cormack.
Commander Rao’s story, one that reveals the unknown details about her battle with Klaus, is a good one, with a strong concept, heart, and soul. The balance in the storytelling here is strongly weighted on the fight scenes, which are, of course, ideal for the comic medium. Some of the subplots (which I won’t reveal) could have been given more prominence, as they have all the ingredients necessary to keep our attention. In addition, a few panels from the climactic battle would have benefited from tone-down colouring to clarify the action details or being shown in clear silhouette, for example, to vary the viewpoint.
Lettering is by Lettersquid (Antares Finest, etc), a letterer and graphic designer who has worked for Scout, Action Lab, and other publishers. Lettersquid stretches the envelope here, providing handwriting, computer screen lettering, and plenty of sound effects.
All in all, though, a good story, well-drawn, powerfully coloured, and memorable. Hopefully, we’ll see more sequentials from Fell Hound in the future!
Available now in digital, in December (preorder now) via Gumroad (https://gumroad.com/fellhound)
Commander Rao (One-Shot), $6.50 for print version, 36 pages, 14+
Newsdesk