Arcbound #1 made waves when it was first announced, especially for the pedigree that was attached. Tom Hardy, no stranger to comic book fare thanks to his roles in the Venom trilogy and The Dark Knight Rises, was a major creative force involved, as was Scott Snyder (Absolute Batman, American Vampire) and Frank Tieri (Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds). But one question remains…what, exactly, is Arcbound about?
The general gist of Arcbound is that humanity has traveled into the stars, following mysterious events that led to Earth becoming an uninhabitable wasteland. But even though mankind left Earth behind, they brought along unchecked capitalism in the form of the Zynitec corporation, which deploys its “Mediators” to subjugate entire worlds so that it can harvest a mysterious substance known as Kronium. One of these Mediators, Kai, is growing disillusioned with a life of violence…and then a mysterious message upends everything he believed in.
The thing that makes Arcbound #1 truly unique is how the creative elements are handled. Unlike Keanu Reeves’ BRZRKR, Hannah Rose May’s The Exorcism at 1600 Penn or David Dastmalchian’s Knights vs. Samurai, Hardy leaves the bulk of the writing to Snyder and Tieri; he’s credited with “character development”, probably meaning that he had a rough idea for the series. Still, Hardy is working with some masterclass storytellers, and Synder and Tieri give plenty of depth to Kai. He’s questioning his purpose, butting heads with fellow Mediator Xander, and eventually manages to have a heart-to-heart with his wife Kyra. Mind you, this is all in the space of one issue but it never feels overcrowded.
Dark Horse Comics
The secret sauce that makes Arcbound #1 pop is Ryan Smallman’s art. Smallman has a cartoonish, yet hyper-violent style that shines whenever he illustrates battle sequences, which take up a good deal of the book. Heads explode, bones snap like brittle wood, and someone is ripped apart, leaving gore and entrails in their wake. All of it is eye-grabbing, especially with Frank William’s contrast of bright sun and dark red blood. When all’s said and done, Smallman could join Ryan Stegman and Ryan Ottley in the hall of “Artists Named Ryan Who Draw Eye-Catching, Super Violent Comic Books.”
I also love how distinct Smallman makes his characters, especially the killing machine known only as “Warr.” Warr moves with speed and strength that belies his rotund frame, and his face is fully obscured by a boxy helmet, making it even more frightening when he plows through scores of victims without a single word. It also isn’t lost on me that Smallman has made Kai visually resemble Hardy; if Arcbound is ever turned into a movie or animated series it wouldn’t be a stretch to see Hardy bring this character to life.
Arcbound #1 is the first step into a new sci-fi universe, as Tom Hardy enlists an all-star creative team to bring his vision to life. It’s also another great example of what happens when a celebrity-driven comic puts the comic first and foremost.
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