Something Epic vol. 1

Some kids have an overactive imagination, where they interact with the things they can only see in their minds eye.  Danny Dillon’s imagination is a bit different, where the things that he can only see in his head can also interact with the real world.  It’s something he’s kept to himself and tried to put out of his mind over the years as growing up was filled with a lot of hardship and tragedy.  It isn’t until he’s an adult that he learns the truth of his situation:  That he’s an Epic, someone with the ability to interact with the real world and those created by human imaginations.  It’s his job to promote balance between these world, yet it’s not something that Danny wants or is even well-suited to do after growing up the way he did.

I didn’t have an idea about what to expect from this series given that it was promoted as being an ode to the power of imagination, albeit one with a lot of covers that homaged a lot of famous movie posters.  While I’d normally consider a lack of expectation about what to expect from the story a plus (see vol. 1 of “The Nice House by the Lake”) the reason for that here is because the narrative of this first volume feels really ill-defined.  Much of it is conveyed through Danny’s internal narration which isn’t the most compelling stuff in the world and gives you the feeling that you’re being preached at rather than drawn into things.  It all adds up to a story that comes off like it’s shouting, “ISN’T IMAGINATION GREAT!!!” at the top of its lungs, which is something I don’t think anyone needed to be told again.  At least in this way.

If nothing else, it does give creator Szymon Kudranski an excuse to cut loose and to try and put all of his inspirations on the page.  From old Nintendo games, to anime, to superheroes, it’s all here and more and I have to give him credit for the depth and breadth of styles he delivers here.  Most of which are even drawn in a striking enough fashion to get across a little of what he’s trying to sell in his story.  That said, they’re also drawn in a dark, gritty fashion that implies he learned all the wrong lessons from drawing “Spawn” for many years.  It’s nice art overall, but not enough to save the story being told here.

In short, reading through the seven issues collected here felt more like a chore than anything else.  Danny’s struggles are understandable and even relatable, but they’re told here in a way that come off as prosaic as opposed to genuinely engaging.  Not helping matters is that Danny’s struggle is a familiar tale of someone trying to overcome their inner darkness that’s told in as straightforward a manner as possible without any real twists or surprises to it.  To say that it ends well for everyone isn’t a spoiler, but a foregone conclusion which tells me that I’d be better off not bothering with the forthcoming second volume.