Perspective is an interesting part of the human experience. I find it fascinating how a simple rotation can change your view of a thing entirely. This review is a certain point of view, and you may come into contact with a dissenting view; whether it’s yours or anothers. The interesting perspective of Bug Wars #1 begins with the cover; where the foreground imagery is enough to get most readers in, but what’s that in the background?
I really do love the track here: from the title to the cover, then to the opening page which seems ripped straight from a storybook. The world building is great, because it is filled with words that strike home like The Yard. You already know what is going on based on the cover’s juxtaposition of the foreground and background. It’s a smooth runway with no hiccups, the mark of a seasoned professional. I don’t think you’ll find anyone who would disagree that that describes Jason Aaron to a tee. But what of the rest of the team?
Bug Wars #1 is like Conan and Thor crossed with Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Legendary comic scribe Jason Aaron (Absolute Superman, The Mighty Thor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) is joined by artist Mahmud Asrar (Conan, X-Men), colorist Matt Wilson (Alien, Amazing Spider-man), and letterer Becca Carey (Absolute Superman, Absolute Wonder Woman, When the Blood Has Dried) to bring this wild concept to life.
Bug Wars follows a young man’s journey into a war-ravaged land that happens to be his backyard. In the first issue, we see both the war below the grass line as well as the young Slade’s family life.
The opening pages fulfill the promise of the foreground of the cover, and I found it thrilling to see Asrar go wild in these battle sequences, as I mostly know his cover work. I imagine for most fans of these creators the opening pages will be worth the price of admission alone. What I enjoyed most came with the perspective change.
The battle ceases inside a horrible whirlwind of a storm and slowly the focus shifts, pulling away from the gory details of The Yard and revealing the beating heart of Bug Wars. I shouldn’t have been so surprised, but I was. Such care was put into the transition, looking over the pages again only increases my admiration of what this team has created here.
Then you see what the storm actually is.
Maybe I’m a big softy, but for me, it’s a very emotional reveal. Humanity does far more damage to this world than we really consider or take responsibility for.
The care with which Aaron and Asrar portray the family is my favorite bit of this debut issue. The simplicity with which Syd and Slade are established is beyond impressive, and by the end of the issue, you have no disillusions about these boys. I’m desperate to witness what befalls them next. The reveal of why Syd hates bugs is among one of the most haunting things I’ve seen. It really feels like Asrar and Aaron are reaching through my chest with this series, and I couldn’t be more excited about what’s coming. When December rolls around, this series will no doubt be on my favorites list.
You may dismiss a spider unless it has that hourglass on its body, which indicates a deeper, more sinister meaning. You may think you know Bug Wars from its cover, but you should know that the appearance of names like Aaron and Asrar indicates something far richer and moving.
