The Bunker #1 Review

Title:	The Bunker
Contributors:	Joshua Hale Fialkov Joe Infurnari
Publisher:	Oni Press
Issue #:	1
Year:	2014
Pages:	42 Pages (39 actual story)
Age Rating:	18 (Violence, Language, Nudity, Adult Themes, Sex)
Story Grade:	B
Art Grade:	C

Five friends go out to a remote location to bury a time capsule. When they start digging they find a door with their names, with the ominous exception of one of the friends, stamped into it. This is an interesting start to an odd apocalyptic tale.

Behind the door they find a Bunker filled with letters, maps and photos. These five friends learn, from their future selves, that they will destroy the world. And though they are warned that making the wrong decisions will set things in motion, they are not told what decisions are the wrong decisions.

Fialkov tackles and interesting subject that most people dream of being able to do; going back in time to stop yourself from fucking up. Everyone has that one event in their life that they wish they had done something different. This aspect of the story makes it a very personal read for me. Can the future ever really, truly be changed? Can you go back in time and stop something from happening?

As the story progresses the friends begin drifting further and further part. The pressure of the knowledge proves too much for them to take.

One of the weaknesses I found in the book is that it is a character driven story that contains characters I had a hard time connecting with because they are too quirky, too shallow, too stereotypical and just plain unsympathetic. The character types include the slut, the virgin (sort of), the jock, the nerd and the jokester. And these character types are clustered into three main arch-types; Villains (the slut and the jock), Righteous (nerd) and Victims (the jokester and the virgin). I found it difficult to like or care for any of the characters because in the end they are mostly unlikable.

Infurnari's artwork has a very classic noir feel. It is dark, pastel, and gritty. While this helps paint a paint a bleak look into the future it is a grunge look that doesn't suit my tastes.

The art feels a little too unrefined for the story being told. This could be that I am fan of a cleaner look to my comic art, or it could be that it simply looks like grit was thrown over a chalky-art canvas.

All in all, I enjoyed the story, but the issues with the story's characters and the artistic styling contained within... well it's not a favorite of mine. I gave the book a C+. It the story is entertaining, but the characters are bland and the artwork is chalky grit.

Until next time... Don't let your fear of the future unravel your present.