Echoes of the Triumphant is a project from Pat Murphy a fresh indie creator ready to put himself out. With help from Jarrod Bezzina as artist and letterer Michael McAdam, this series stands out in presentation.
Presenting Echoes of the Triumphant
Disclaimer, the review copy of the first issue from Murphy may not completely match the final product. This is especially concerning this product is different from a concept revealed months prior. It’s also possible that some of the things I like and dislike will not be in that final product. Murphy after lessons from a Dominic Bercier of Mirror Comics Studios and editing by Alexi Kott presents a comic with a little more substance than style.
Echoes of the Triumphant follows Adrian Avery, a normal human with a chip on his shoulder in a world of superpowered people. Between a family he can’t see eye-to-eye with, a boss he hates, and losing a career in MMA to the “Tweaks” he has a rather bad attitude. Frankly it’s a little hard to see Adrian as a protagonist considering how aloof and hostile he can be to people who don’t deserve the meanness. Yet Adrian seems to be relatively normal in the setting of Echo City.
An Alternative Capepunk
The event that caused super people genetics has caused a shift in the US economy. As an economist notes in an interview, despite Echo City being prosperous there is a notable wage gap. Some people are left begging on the street and through a registration act Tweaks have to work. Flying people work in advertising and speedsters take the place of Ubers. Unlike the freelancers who can make a living out of this lifestyle, the Tweaks are disadvantaged. This is thanks in no small part to the private military group Xpel. This government hired group can be a nuisance towards Tweaks like when Adrian uses their presence to avoid paying his ride to work.
Because of this a few Tweak gangs form for an alternative of being a wage slave. One gang in particular, The Pride are led by an extremist. So extreme that Adrian’s brother left that gang to warn Adrian and point him in the direction to fight back. It’s a dire situation that almost seems justifiable with how Adrian goes to the lengths to secure a battlesuit. But again, Adrian’s self-righteousness can be very demeaning with how he goes about it. Even Adrian knows that he’s in over his head at some points.
Laying Out The Cards
Bezzina is inexperienced as a comic artist in terms of design with his characters and architecture looking basic. The panel work and subtle changes during conversations on the other hand more than make up for these shortcomings. This more than likely comes with Bercier’s help who was the initial panel layout artist. With certain elements happening in sequence, it makes a big difference. In one page the reader feels Adrian’s frustrations with his family. Standing near his father’s bedside, Adrian’s blackened upper face gives the impression his strained relationship with him. The panel that shows his father’s hand looks like he’s reaching out to Adrian presents a man helplessly trying to connect with his son. But the way Adrian’s family looks at him with glowing eyes and Adrian tightening his fist shows how isolated he is from them. A lot happens behind the scenes and Adrian is left out of it.
To bring that point home are a number of phrases that McAdam presents in creative ways. When Adrian walks out of the hospital, a billboard says everything he feels in that moment. This is followed by a quote by capitalism critic Thorstein Veblen that says the same thing; Adrian feels left out of a changing world and in order to thrive within he has to exploit this new change by being blameless in how he gets his way.
Here’s To Echoes of the Triumphant
This series is not an aspirational piece about an antihero in an unjust world, it looks almost Shakespearian. Adrian has lost a lot of opportunities which will connect him to people who deal with everyday frustrations. After a life full of hardships, everyone believes they deserve some form of greatness. But Adrian exploits people for his own gain, even those who genuinely want to help him. Why would anyone follow someone so self-righteous? Maybe so that they can see Adrian’s efforts blow up in his face. If anything it’s the world of Echoes of the Triumphant and how it displays itself that should be followed.
So with an unlikable protagonist among mostly decent characters in a cold cruel world that presents rather nicely this gets a 8/10. Things look simple at first but by reading between the panels, readers can see the efforts by passionate creators in one issue.