Action Journalism #1

by Nick Devonald on May 05, 2020

Writer: Eric Skillman
Artist: Miklós Felvidéki

Action Journalism is a brand new comic following the exploits of intrepid journalist Kate Kelly. She’s a hero in the vein of Tintin or Lois Lane, a reporter who finds herself in the thick of the action rather than sitting at a desk. The comic feels very old school, and is a wonderful tribute to comics of old. It also does a fantastic job of recreating the feel of a black and white newspaper to great effect. It doesn’t take itself even slightly seriously instead it focuses on being great fun.

The first page of the comic is laid out like a newspaper, with the headline “DEATH IN ORBIT! They Came From the Far Corners of the Universe – To Destroy Us All!” and features a picture of an alien armada in Earth, readying itself to destroy the Earth. But then the first line makes a joke about Killing Eve. It does a fantastic job of setting the scene and the tone of the comic.

The plot feels like a homage to Science Fiction of the 60s, with plenty of well worn tropes to go along with that, but intentionally so. The whole thing is pretty absurd but that’s also kind of the point. It’s a well crafted piece of escapism that is sure to make you laugh a few times as you read along. It’s a parody of the intrepid reporter and classic sci-fi plot that would have fit in perfectly half a century ago, but reimagined for a modern audience. It’s also aimed at all ages, so younger readers will also get a kick out of Kate Kelly’s adventures.

While the majority of the plot focuses on Kate Kelly we’re introduced to a few other characters who are sure to play a bigger role as the plot progresses. I’m intrigued to what the future holds, with five issues in total planned and the promise of more to come it’s definitely a fun bit of escapism to look forward to in these trying times.

Miklós Felvidéki’s art does a fantastic job of capturing the feel of Newspaper print. The whole thing is done in black and white, but that's not what makes it work so well. It needs to be seen to appreciate how well it achieves this. Then there's the art itself. The aliens are suitably alien. Our heroine Kate Kelly is a force to be reckoned with while she’s in action. This comic wouldn’t work half as well as it does with a different artist. It’s the tone of the art as much as it is the content of the comic that makes this a homage as much as a parody of the genres it’s recreating.

This first issue deals with an alien armada, the second issue involves mad scientists, this is a series which feels like each issue is going to be even more bonkers than the last. Couple that with art which pays a fantastic tribute to old newspapers, the way the story doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the fantastic homage to old school action stories, this is a great piece of escapism in these trying times.

Our Score:

7/10

A Look Inside