With years spent reading single issues here and there, juggling storylines of dozens of titles, I decided it was time to find a better way to read comics. So, it was off to the back issue bins armed with the longest want list you’ve ever seen! Putting together series after series and reading them in their complete goodness, I was reborn as the Retro-Reader!
Publisher: Caliber
Number of Issues: 5
First Issue: May 1997 ($2.95)
Last Issue: 1998 ($2.95)
Writer: Andrew M. Ford
Artist: Michael Kelleher
On a world similar to ours, yet different in many ways, there are two sentient species on the Earth: Humans and Worms. Sometime in the past, the more dominant humans integrated the worms into their society; although, this event is now looked at as more of an assimilation. Just as on our world, prejudice and mistrust continue to exist despite the co-existence of both species. Some worms have voluntarily left the human cities to live in non-conforming societies. And, of course, there are still humans that are unhappy that they have to share their world with another species.
This is the world Rib was born into. He’s a worm that has hopped from orphanage to orphanage until his 21st birthday when he was released into the world. Hoping to find out information on his parents, Rib moved to Metro City where he was quickly befriended by a human named Max who owns a bar/inn in the city. As the series unfolds, we’re exposed to prejudice and acceptance through Rib’s eyes as he encounters all kinds of different people from different backgrounds. Meanwhile, the leader of the nearest Non-Conformist Worm Society is nearing his death and his human-hating son is hoping to take power. And, in Metro City, the human mayor has put together a corrupt deal to get rid of all the worms.
The Bad: This series was all too prematurely ended and has an unfinished feeling to the overall story.
The Good: Michael Kelleher’s art truly shines here. His design of the title character elicits a true endearing feeling that makes you care for him instantly, despite his strange appearance we, humans.
The Verdict: What an ambitious story! Ford’s tale of a young, orphaned worm trying to find his way in the world exposes us to our human nature. He encounters incidents of unwarranted prejudice as well as unselfish acts of acceptance. However, it doesn’t ever come across as preachy and sometimes goes so far as to illustrate the reasoning behind prejudice. This story does wonders for breaking down the boundaries of what a comic story can do. I just wish it would have continued long enough to bring some of the building background storylines to a more definitive ending.
On Ebay: Rib | Andrew M. Ford | Michael Kelleher