The major comic companies get enough reviews and press, it’s time for the creator-owned and indie series to get some love and judgment. Indie review takes up-and-coming indie and creator-owned series and puts them through the review process so you can confidently support the best of the small press and passion driven projects in the comic industry.

 

The Info Bit

Title: Dan the Unharmable

Genre/s: Crime

Writer: David Lapham (Crossed, Deadpool Max)

Penciler: Rafael Ortiz (Deadworld)

Colorist: Digikore Studios

Publisher: Avatar Press

Number of Issues: Ongoing

Page Count: 32

Price: $3.99

 

The Review Bit

Yes, there be spoilers ahead!

So being an avid fan of Avatar Press and David Lapham, especially what he has written for Avatar, I was looking forward to this book. The concept sounded interesting. A crime story who’s central character is a bohemian, lazy, jack of all trades of sorts (hey whatever gets him by day to day…in one case $44.48).  Did I mention he has severe memory issues?  Oh, he’s also completely invulnerable (he eats bullets people!!) with super strength…uhm, SOLD!

The story opens on a Hollywood detective looking over a grisly crime scene. Seems a woman has been murdered and her body mutilated. The detective, having dreams and aspirations of solving a great Hollywood mystery, compares the circumstances to the Black Dahlia case. Then–wait…what? They already found the killer? The boyfriend? DAMNIT!!

Enter our lay about hero Dan, who is awoken from a wonderful and orgiastic dream by an apparent local park scamp (and probably Dan’s only friend) that goes by the name of Tober. The two begin to discuss a potential job for Dan, as well as his current job. Clearly one job at a time is all Dan can handle, continually shutting down anything Tober has to say on the topic. Meanwhile Tober comments on how this girl that is seeking Dan’s help is currently being chased through the park. “Looks like they got her.”

Tober reminds Dan that he promised he would take a tape recorder (that Tober found in the trash) with him that night to keep a ‘log’ to hopefully combat the problems with his memory. The panels of the next few pages are pretty entertaining and clever. We get to see just how unharmable Dan is when the simple snatch and grab his client sent him on (retrieving some sex tapes) turns very violent. Very witty dialog juxtaposed with some noir style inner monologue among an incredibly violent backdrop made these pages my favorite part of this issue.

Dan collects his payment and heads home. Waiting for him outside his apartment building is they girl from the park Tober had tried to convince Dan to help. She is desperate for his help, he is desperate for sleep. She spills her story as they make their way up to his apartment. Turns out her mother was just brutally murdered…yep you guessed it…the body from the beginning of this story. She tells him that not only did her mom’s boyfriend not do this, but there are crazy people after her, and they already have her brother and sisters. Lapham ends this issue on a huge surprise that you’ll just have to read to believe.

 

The Rating Bit

I really enjoyed this book. I highly believe it deserves a big 8.5 out of 10. Lapham’s dialog was clever with a nice solid flow. Just the right amount of humor. While Ortiz’s art style was rather simple, it worked very well with Lapham’s words and really helped to tell the story. I look forward to the next issue.