Stories Of Old, Born Anew: Reviewing ‘Nullhunter’ #1

Greek mythology meets cyberpunk as one man is forced into service to find justice into a modern Labors of Hercules. It all hits the fan with Nullhunter #1, from creators Michael Walsh, Gustaffo Vargas, and Becca Carey.

As soon as I saw the solicit for this series and the words Greek, mythology, and Hercules… Well, I was locked in. Threw it right into the email to my editor-in-chief about new books I wanted to add to my review queue. As expected, I was not disappointed.

Being dropped into an unfamiliar space, trying to figure out just what is going on and who everyone is can be a very fun adventure with storytelling. That’s very much where we find ourselves with the first issue of this series. Yet, it’s also quite familiar.

That would be because of the Greek mythology connections, specifically the Hercules bit, providing a touchstone framing device. Sure, it’s all cyberpunk and sci-fi opposed to old time Greek, but it remains very much the same in spirit. The planet that Clay goes to for his first mission is called N3M-3A where he fights a robotic lion…you know, just like the Nemean lions from the tasks of Hercules.

Walsh finds a way to blend the two flavors so perfectly that it makes all the sense. They are one and the same here. He gives us enough backstory and breadcrumbs to become invested, while keeping a lot of cards hidden to reveal down the line.  Debut issues need to thread the needle carefully at creating interest but not overloading.

Mission accomplished.

I’m not familiar with Vargas’ work, but I sure want to see more.

There is a really dense nature to everything, feeling really heavy and rough while showing off so much expressive energy. Paneling choices really give everything room to sit and breathe, keeping us very much in the space of the character and the world. Action pieces are well crafted and have a lot of movement to them, just sort of gliding across the page.

There are a lot of sci-fi elements at play here and all of them feel authentic and just work here. Color-wise, it is very toned-down and natural feeling in most respects. Many of the colors that are brighter or more vibrant are saved for some of the sci-fi bits but also elements of nature in these other worlds, such as really vibrant sunrises and sunsets, or the glowing of the lion robot or even things to do with Clay’s enhancements.

Speaking of the framing earlier, the way the panels shift, and shape change is so great. I love it when there is such creative energy being expended, going well beyond more standard types of comic paneling or layouts.

All the right energy comes off the lettering, because that is what Carey brings to the table. Adding lots of color, personality, and fun energy while achieving what the words need. Emotional resonance is clear and each voice begins to form as the reader gets deeper with them. Without actually hearing these characters in reality, I feel like there is enough here to create the voices ‘accurately’ in the mind.

Nullhunter #1 is now available from Image Comics.