Part of doing reviews is seeing a lot of stories, especially first chapters. You’re bound to see many great opening stories, many of which offer insight into a new world. Over time, you’ll find some stories that are harder than usual to digest.
Super Ready Battle Armour #1 offers quite an artistic, manga-like take into Australian comics. Even then, the story has a few confusing points, with much of the script going all over the place. It would need to figure out which direction it wants to go.
A Weird Series of Events: The Story of Super Ready Battle Armour #1 Review
Super Ready Battle Armour #1 is an Australian comic published by Halftone Productions. The story is written and lettered by Bradley Adan and illustrated by Luis Ergueta Roldan.
The story of SRBA follows B.A., an orphan troublemaker as he finds himself inside a holding cell for stealing a vehicle with his friend, Hawk. He is a part of the local gang, the Iron Weights, who takes in orphans and cares for them.
Too Confused, Too Many Cooks: The Writing of Super Ready Battle Armour #1
Super Ready Battle Armour #1 has a ton of potential, but right now, everything hinges at potential. The writing is a little bit on the confusing side and the problem points to a little bit of everything.
So far, there are confusing plot points that add nothing to the story. For example, an unmentioned coffee shop scene offers ultra ambiguous dialogue. It likely sets up something for the next chapters, but it offers nothing for this story.
Another part is the conversation inside the holding cell between Hawk and B.A. initially failed to mention Hawk’s name. For an exposition companion for the main character, it took the story three pages make an offhand mention of it.
The story also relied on an ambiguous side comment to talk about Hawk’s relationship. I feel like the problem comes from too many side characters who have bit roles in the entire comic.
So far, the comics has as many as a dozen characters introduced in a span of 28 pages. The count does not account for the flashback, background characters, and the TV reporter.
Too many characters talking make the story a bit too bland. The plot had a glaring lack of focus somehow, but I hope it picks up over the next few chapters. With the current progression, we’re bound to see why it’s titled Super Ready Battle Armour.
A Good Use of Manga Aesthetics: The Art of Super Ready Battle Armour #1
If there is a saving grace for Super Ready Battle Armour #1, it’s the art. The work that Luis Ergueta Roldan did is amazing, even if it has its own issues.
The art style follows the design aesthetic of Japanese manga, creating a sort of hybrid art. The style reminds me of late 90s to early 2000s manga aesthetics like Black Lagoon, Trigun, and Desert Punk. The style is one of the better, more realistic aesthetics in animation.
The era composed of generally amazing, proportioned characters and the use of physical comedy tropes. To legitimise the style, Roldan used a manga screentone to add the paper-like texture for the genre.
The only issue I can find with the art in this story are the crowded panels. You hear me talk about background art all the time and the treatment usually falls between three styles. Background art is usually nonexistent, just enough or too much.
Roldan went a little too ham on the background art. Everything is especially detailed, but too much detail takes your focus away from the situation on the foreground.
Should you read Super Ready Battle Armour #1?
Should you read Super Ready Battle Armour #1? I would say that SRBA is a toss up that you should be ready to temper your expectation. If you’re the type who gets discouraged on your first read, this is not for you. SRBA #1 is a story for someone who sees potential on a lot of stories. It’s not among the best starting points, but there is potential for this. If the team can streamline their plotlines and make it less busy, it can go a long way.
