Rumours have been coming in about the world possibly going to hell and well, we’re gonna need something like luck. Now that was not an intended pun, but we sure could use some luck. And not the bad kind of luck either!
Well, it does seem like people are trying to save us. Or at least I like to believe that. And what’s my source you say? Well, all I got is this little comic, but I like to think that perhaps someone must have been there to capture the exploits of the brave souls who are trying to save our world, because here’s the one thing: they’re not lucky, or at least they aren’t according to this comic.
What’s this comic you say? Well, it’s Good Luck #1 by Matthew Erman, Stefano Simeone, Mike Fiorentino, and Michelle Ankley. In addition to telling the news to us, it tells it in style, so of course I had to get some of my fellow peers to analyse and evaluate this comic, not as a means of news mind you, but whether it is newsworthy storytelling. And now I leave you with their thoughts.
Ashley Durante (@ashleyacts)
We’ve all had our fair share of unlucky days. But what if you were perpetually unlucky? What if everyone else around you were magically imbued with the power of luck; and that cruel mistress took one look at you and said, “No. Not that one.”? Such is the fate of Artemis Barlow and his fellow ragtag “Unfortunates.” In Good Luck #1, we meet the sweetly optimistic Artemis and only fall more in love with this unlucky sad-sack every time he falls down and shouts, “Ouch! My bones!”
Like most people, whether novel or comic, I’m looking for a good story. But if you hook me with characters I care about too, I’m putty in your hands. Suffice it to say, I’m already on team Artie & Co. Good Luck #1’s color story soars, with an 80’s pop color scheme that’s just vintage enough to feel futuristic. If I had a lone complaint after reading this first issue, it would be that I want even more lore. This story has a lot of potential and I’m hoping the next issues will give us more than just a leaky faucet’s worth of information on Doctor Diaphanous and the training simulations the Unfortunates have been running. Perhaps we’ll get lucky?
Allison Senecal (@maliciousglee)
Luck-based powers are always a tough sell for me as a reader, and Good Luck throws us into a whole luck-based world. Where it really succeeds is making its focus the only kids on Earth entirely without luck. These kids, the Unfortunates, are easily the biggest strength of this issue. Stefano Simeone created some fun character designs for them and Hilde has an eye-patch so I know I’ll remember her forever. Props to Mike Fiorentino for forcing me to like lowercase lettering in a comic.
Sci-fi and fantasy comics tend toward inevitable info-dumps, and I do wish the front-loaded one here had been integrated into the action instead. The initial narration comes off more clunky than epic and I would have been pulled in faster had Erman and Co. dropped us in with Artie off the bat. I’m not sure there’s enough of a hook to keep me on this monthly, but I’d snag the trade.
Gabrielle Cazeaux (@gabrielle_doo)
I’m always attracted to weird and new concepts, and that’s what interested me about Good Luck. A group of the most unfortunate people in the world; the underdogs, if you will. I was weary, of course, of that being just a façade to make the characters more relatable, something which I think is a problem that’s becoming very common nowadays. But instead, this first issue was a great surprise, and if I’m being honest, everything I could want for a first issue.
From the very first panel to the last, thanks to the angles of the panels and the way they’re organized, it feels like you’re always stumbling through the pages, constantly glitching. In a good way, almost like our unlucky protagonists. And without over-explaining itself, it presents us with interesting themes that I’d love to further explore; what does it really mean to be unlucky? How do you live if it’s assured that everything will always go badly? Are they being told the truth about their supposed purpose and functionality in this world?
I’m completely sold on the story. I definitely want to see what else this world has to offer, and how it develops its futuristic and cosmic mythology, and these distinct characters that apparently have no chances of ever winning from the very start.
Ed Escobar (@AsleepTurnpike)
Good Luck #1 portrays an interesting blend of abstract ideas and phenomena, such as gods and luck, with science fiction. The idea of “quantifiable luck” is an interesting one, and certainly focusing on the few people whose fortune has led them to be born without any luck at all is a catchy premise. The character we follow through the issue, Artemis, is charming and funny in his literally nonsensical optimism. There are several unexplained mysteries here that will probably have me coming back for the next few issues, though the exposition that is there remains somewhat clunky.
The character writing by Erman is solid enough, and the bright and colorful art by Simeone is delightful. The lettering by Fiorentino is great, especially for an issue with as much dialogue as this. I’m looking forward to seeing the way this story develops, now that the main concepts are set.
Simon Zuccherato (@PredapSZ)
First issues are often hard, having to introduce the characters, plot, and provide a hook to keep reading. Luckily enough, Good Luck #1 manages to accomplish all this. It provides a lot of exposition about the world, packing the pages with word balloons, and while it can feel a bit stilted at some points it’s never a chore to read through.
Stefano Simeone does a great job with the colours, creating a world filled with reds, blues, and yellows that are both aesthetically pleasing and indicate the relative levels of luck in the current location. While it’s by no means an all-time great #1, I was still impressed, and am looking forward to seeing where this series goes.