by tonydoug wright

Fireblast #0 (Masterpiece Comics)

Writer: Ace Masters
Illustrations: Nichx
Letters: Michelle Fiorucci

Science-fiction comic books are outnumbered by super-hero and crime noir titles and finding a compelling science-fiction graphic novel or comic book is difficult. Fortunately, there are a few independent companies who publish graphic novels or comic books with a great science-fiction story. Ace Masters, the creative leader of Masterpiece Comics, has developed another fast-paced science-fiction comic book titled Fireblast.

Set in the 30th Century, Fireblast follows the daily adventures of Mack Fire, a private investigator who is being targeted by a mysterious group of villains. Bombers and snipers try to eliminate Fire, but it is unclear why someone wants him dead. The assassins are persistent in their attempts and Fire has little clues to who they are or who they work for. Fortunately, Fire has the assistance of a female hologram assistant named Perfecta who aids Fire on his mission to find the assassins.

Fireblast is an improvement over Rushmore, an earlier work by Ace Masters, which was absolutely forgettable. Masters has created an action-packed comic book, but the pace should be slowed down ever so slightly because page after page of shootings and bombings quickly turns into overkill. More time has been given to character development and Masters has improved character dialogue. Also, there should also be pages with little or no dialogue because a comic book can do many wonderful things visually without the use of written dialogue.

Nichx provides the illustrations and they too have improved since the release of Rushmore. The artwork in Fireblast is more enjoyable and Nichx has created a decent futuristic visual setting, but this story is set in the 30th Century and there is little imagination in the way of buildings, flying cars, pistols, etc. Another artistic criticism would be that the characters at times look disproportionate. There is one page that comes to mind where a man is sitting on a desk and his head is small while his arms are unusually long.

Readers interested in science-fiction comic books might enjoy Fireblast. Ace Masters has made significant improvements and it is noticeable in this title. Although there is praise for Fireblast there is some criticism regarding the rushed pace and unusual artwork. If Masters and his staff continue to polish their skills, then they could be a respected independent publisher of science-fiction comic books and graphic novels.