Comics: Relay #1 - Reviewed



Imagine every human on the planet being forced to change their customs, beliefs, and culture to match one another perfectly so that everyone is the same. Enter the world of Relay #1, where a giant monument in the middle of the city known as the Relay controls and informs its inhabitants of what to believe, what customs to have, and what their culture is. No longer are people allowed the freedom to choose, they are now forced to listen to the Relay and obey. No one knows where the Relay came from, only that a man named Hank Donaldson brought it to Earth. Those who work for the Relay are on a mission to find Hank Donaldson and take the Relay to other planets in hopes of bringing peace and spreading its truth.

The two main characters, Jad and William, have an interesting dynamic. While they both work for the Relay, they have different beliefs. Jad completely agrees with and has faith in the Relay, thinking that it will bring peace to every planet by causing every person to unite in their beliefs and cultures, while William doesn’t believe in it at all and thinks that it is forcing people to believe a lie, while requiring them to give up their personal morals and beliefs in order to achieve a false sense of peace. The writing by Zac Thompson is enjoyable and genuine. It’s fun to hear both sides of the argument on whether or not the Relay is good or bad. I’m curious to see how these characters will evolve in future issues.

Overall, I thought this comic was very intriguing. For me, the concept had parallels to that of a cult, as you have one man instilling his beliefs on others, claiming it will bring peace, but if you choose not to submit you will face dire consequences. I’m interested to see what will happen in future issues as people are forced to leave behind everything they know and are accustomed to in order to follow the Relay. The illustrations by Andy Clarke are amazing. His drawings are wonderfully detailed and the characters’ expressions are realistically done. While the copy I reviewed only showed a few pages colored by Dan Brown, they were gorgeously done and really made the pages pop with their bright vibrant colors. If you are looking for a fun, entertaining, and captivating read, I recommend this comic. Relay #1 is available for purchase July 11, 2018.

-Amy Walker-LaFollette