Bigger Than Capes

Writer: Ram V
Artist: Anand RK
Colourist: Shankar
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Vault

I’ve been a fan of Ram V’s work for a few years now. However it wasn’t until I was preparing for an interview with Ram for my previous podcast that I read just about all his books, including Grafity’s Wall which was drawn by Anand RK and lettered by Aditya Bidikar. It’s a book I immediately fell in love with and have read a bunch of times since. So I was very excited when it was announced that those three creatives, now joined by colourist Anisha Shankar, were reuniting for Radio Apocalypse. I’ll also admit that I’m disappointed about how long it’s taken me to get this review out, but unfortunately life has slowed down my reading and reviewing speed lately.

We don’t learn a lot about the world of Radio Apocalypse in this first issue. However, we’re presented with a handful of characters trying their best to survive in a decimated wasteland, we also learn that if you aren’t in a safe area with some pretty serious fences when it gets dark you’re in danger of coming face to face with Xinos (kind of terrifying, skinless, nightmare dogs).

At the core of this issue are Cali, Tan, Rion, the staff of the radio station and an unnamed General type who’s trying to keep everyone safe inside Bakerstown, the location at the centre of this issue. They’re a ragtag group at best and they all seem to be coming into this narrative from different places, united by the dangers that surround them. Something that’s pretty reminiscent of Grafity’s Wall in a way.

We see some great character work in this issue. In only a few pages we get a good idea of who each character is, even those that aren’t with us for long. Anand RK’s artwork combined with Shankar’s colouring create an immediately distinct visual of worn out, post-apocalyptic neon, which honestly I can’t get enough of. RK’s art style is really varied, but here we’re definitely closer to Grafity’s Wall than Blue In Green here. Besides, there’s a chaos to his art that perfectly fits with the story being told.

The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys comes to mind when reading Radio Apocalypse, both narratives take place in a dystopia, focus on a thrown together group of misfits and prominently feature a radio station. However, I’m pleased to say that they’re both very different stories.

I’m not entirely sure what to expect in the coming issues of Radio Apocalypse but, with strong character work and outstanding artwork, I’m more than happy to be along for the ride.