Comics Corner: Redman Volume 1

Created by former featured artist Matt Frank and Goncalo Lopes, Redman takes a new perspective on the 70’s kaiju hunter.

Series creators Matt Frank and Goncalo Lopes released the first volume earlier of their comic series based on Redman, the Tsuburaya Productions’ character who appeared in the short mini-series “Redman” during the 70’s, earlier this year. Editor-in-Chief Nicole Amber and Managing Editor Yasin Bulhan share their thoughts of the first volume below.

Nicole’s thoughts:

When first opening the book, the statement from the cameraman was such a great way to start the comic, giving the viewers an idea of what went on while filming Redman and how Matt is now creating a Redman legacy. As I continued to read on, I admired how fight scenes shine dynamically without needing any dialogue outside of Redman’s attacks. The art style is gritty but highly detailed. Outside of fight scenes, even the expressions of the kaiju bring a story together without needing words.

I found the chapter with Zaurs to be my favorite out of the entire volume. It made me laugh how originally it wanted to team up with the others to defeat Redman but abandoned them to continue eating. Again, no words needed to make a funny chapter.

Yasin’s thoughts:

Volume 1 of Redman: The Kaiju Hunter gives an interesting, new perspective on a relatively straight-forward TV mini-series. Matt Frank does a great job of pulling the camera back just enough to explore a different way of telling the story of the roaming kaiju killer, creating a mystery behind the stories being told with each episode or “fight”. As the readers follow Redman’s adventure, subtle details hint at the state of mind and circumstance of our titular character. And glimpses from beyond the screen promise a grander tale waiting to be told. For all of this to be done without any dialogue outside of call-outs for attack names, that is no small feat and a sign of good storytelling.

The art in this book is nothing short of amazing. The details given to Redman, the several kaiju featured in each chapter, and the surrounding landscapes capture the baron yet lived-in world that is being explored. Matt brings his A-game and it shows. And the coloring done by Goncalo Lopes compliments the art perfectly by adding a balance between earthy tones throughout the book with splashes of vibrant colors during the epic battles.

Redman is a great read for fans looking for fresh content with the vibe of a 70’s tokusatsu TV show. With the added bonus of a very informative introduction piece from the cameraman of the original TV series as well as concept art and a look back at the original series, this is a book that you should definitely check out.