Customer Reviews

Crimson: Loyalty and Loss - Tome 1

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When Cliffhanger was first announced everybody was full of anticipation about the upcoming Madureira and Cambell projects. Many overlooked Ramos' Crimson. I must honestly admit that, although I decided to get all three titles to see for myself anyway, I was expecting the least of Ramos' title as well. I've read al three series myself by now and it's funny but I must conclude that for me Crimson is the best series of the three.

The book this review is about ("Loyalty & Loss") collects the first 6 issues of the series. It starts of with an explanation which races currently walk the earth and how it all became what it is today through an altered version of the story of God creating the earth (a little tough to read at first but neccesary knowledge to understand what's going on later). After that we move on to the introduction of the main-character of the title, Alex Elder, getting turned into a vampire, his struggle with acceptance of his fate, and him refusing to let go of his past. And as if Alex isn't having a hard enough time already, a creature named Ekimus appears who calls him "The chosen one" and "Destined to be the last Vampire", which confuses Alex even more than he already is (all this is pretty good reading). After this intro (which all happens in the first 3 issues) the main story starts to unfold with #4 and from there it gets even better. We learn about different vampire clans, different categories of neck-biters, the 'Children of Judas' AND 'The order of the Red Hood' who's goal it is to extinct all blood-suckers. It's really nice to see Alex not wanting to let go of his humanity, trying to cling on to his former life, and him developing certain powers all the time which neither he nor Ekimus thought possible. The intention of the story is to be a drama-story in which it succeeds pretty good, but it's also nice to see that the book isn't taken TOO seriously and that it also turns out to be a funny story every now a and then with punchlines and pun (and the interaction between Alex and Scarlet X, one of the sisters of the Red Hood, is really fun). It's totally not your typical vampire book but pretty original an funny instead. The artwork by Ramos is better than any previous work I've seen of him and he does well to avoid getting TOO cartoony, leaving the artwork suitable for drama and gore (which it has plenty) but staying fun and easy for the eye as well. The 'special effects' are powerfull as well. If you are gonna get ONE Cliffhanger title I think this one is the best choice, and this book is the right place to start. In all fairness I must say that the next Crimson TPB is better but you need to read this one first to know what's going on (And like I said, it IS pretty good. Only the next one is even better).

CRIMSON: Loyalty and Loss is an astounding first volume in this continuing series about a young vampire who is still familiarizing himself with undeadliness =] The art is really cool--and there are a couple of bodacious babes--and, coupled with a refreshing view of vampires, it makes for one fantastic read. This is a must for anyone craving a new vein in an old genre... (pun intended!)

Of the three much-hyped Cliffhanger titles (Danger Girl, Battle Chasers, and Crimson) that premiered in the late 90's, Humberto Ramos's Crimson series was the least anticipated. It was also, however, the most consistent and the only one that lasted more than a handful of issues. For whatever reason, Humberto Ramos didn't let the hype go to his head and set about creating a truly memorable fantasy epic that to this day remains one of my favorite comics.

Crimson focuses on troubled teenager Alex Wilder, who becomes a vampire after he and his friends are ambushed by a vampire gang in Central Park. Alex, who may be more than just your everyday bloodsucker, is taken in by the mysterious Grigori Ekimus, who knows much more about him than he's letting on. The main focus of this first installment is Alex's transformation and subsequent revenge on the vampire gang, but the stage is definitely set for the next volume in the series.

The storytelling is pretty impressive, especially when you consider the fact that this was Ramos's first time as a co-author. The heart of this volume is the basic vampire story, but we're given enough fantastic elements (see: Garden of Eden, Dragons, Saint George, the Red Hoods, etc.) to let us know that this series is going to get a lot more interesting in short order. The dialogue gets a bit silly at times, but the subject matter is fascinating enough that you can look past it. You also get the sense that Ramos is putting every bit of his energy into making this story something special, and that enthusiasm is contagious.

Ramos has a unique style, influenced by Japanese manga as Art Adams's X-Men work. It's not for everyone, but I thought it was perfect for this kind of story. The hyper-stylized characters are very memorable, and Ramos's anime-inspired action scenes are astonishingly vivid (not to mention astonishingly bloody). The digital coloring of this series is breathtaking as well, and at times you feel like you should hold down the pages to keep the images from jumping out.

It's not without its flaws, but Crimson definitely got off to a good start. I'd recommend this highly entertaining series to anyone interested in vampires, dragons, werewolves, and supernatural fantasy. Superhero fans probably won't find much to love, but the Harry Potter/Dresden Files/Buffy/Anita Blake crowd should love Crimson.

This series was my introduction to the amazing work of Humberto Ramos and Brian Agustyn. I picked it up at the local comic shop and it was so good that I bought the remaining 3 volumes. The story is fast paced but what sold me was the depth of the characters, fully developed in a very real, yet supernaturally aware world. Ramos' urban style is excellent and truly captures the story being set in a big city. The writing by Agustyn is top notch and flowed quite well. Overall, since reading Crimson I have become a huge fan of Humberto Ramos and have made it a passion to collect anything he illustrates (see Revelations). Recently, at Wizards World Los Angles 2007 I had the honor of meeting Mr. Ramos himself and he was kind enough to sketch for me my favorite Marvel character Venom. He even let me take a sneak peak into his sketchbook and see his upcomming project (look for it).

Crimson is one of my most treasured collections and one I go to from time to time.

A must for any Humberto Ramos fan.

This graphic novel was just a little too graphic for my tastes. That being said, I think this is a great read. I just could have done with a little less blood. This is the first time I've seen a vampire feed and get completely covered in blood. Front and back. Most vampires seem to want the blood in their tummies, not all over their clothes. So much for incognito.
Again, other than that I thought it was a great story.

Collecting the first 6 issues of the successful Cliffhanger comic, Crimson - Loyalty and Loss assembles Brian Augustyn, a story teller with an almost Josh Whedon Buffy-esque type ability to tell a mythic tale with a sense of sarcasm and humour, and Humberto Ramos, a penciller with the cartoonic bounce and volume of a Joe Madurieira circa Uncanny X-Men. And therein lies the problem, unlike other writers tackling the Vampire genre (and we've seen alot of movies, television and comics on the topic over the last few years) Augustyn fails to give us some real edge or conversely some unbridled fun in this,the first of 4 Crimson trade paperbacks. I couldn't shake the feeling reading this book that it tries to do too much and ends up doing a little less. Ramos pencils though I cant fall they are accessible and add alot to the feel of the story. Alex, a teenager riddled with teen angst gets bitten one night out with his friends only to later disocer he is not only a vampire but THE chosen one with a special place to play in the battle of good and evil. The cliffhanger endings at the end of each of the six issues would suit perfectly in an issue by issue basis, but here seeing Alex get into a perilous situation only to get out of it without too much fuss diffuses all the climax building, the story arc is a little start-stop, and at times you kinda see the joke/peril/quip two panels ahead. If I sound negative about the book, its because I expected great and I got good. Ramos creates some visually fun characters, and there is alot more spark here than most other books on the market, but in the end this is a decent book and it could have been stellar.

I tell you what. Little in life will be this good. Pick up this book as soon as humanly possible. Seriously, this book is of the highest quality, easily rivaling most novels. It is deep and complex yet not preachy or boring. Looking for action? Tons of it. Tragedy? He's a vampire for crying out loud. Humor? On every page. Serious storytelling? Still, every page. Then, when you are done with this one, get the rest of them. They all rock.

This series really could have been great. The ideas and themes of the book have been touched on in other books and movies but none have been bold enough to cram so much into one story. This book has it all: Vampires, Magic, Angels, Demons, Dragons, and even some Teen Angst. Most other reviewers complain about the artwork of the book, but im a big fan of Ramos. I do agree though that it was a bit too cartoonish for this kind of story. I wish he would have used a style similar to the one he used in his other book, Revelations. However, the art is not the only thing cartoonish in the book; the writing also falls short and almost reads like saturday morning cartoon version of Preacher. That is where i found the book missed the mark. I think that if this book had been more serious it would be a classic.

A teenage type tale of a boy that becomes a vampire, and the problems and politics that vampires and vampire hunters become involved in. He also has a few problems dealing with his still living relatives, being undead and all. You get the friend, babe, mysterious mentor, and a mythological knight, to boot.

I'm a fan of x-men comics, and Japanese manga. Usually I don't even bother with other series, however, while reading a PSM magazine in which one of the illustrators of Crimson had drawn the cover for, I discovered an ad for the comic. Finding that it was about vampires I decided to give it a try, being the vampire lover that I am. ^^ I found myself completely absorbed into the story and loving every minute of it. I'm sure anyone who reads this series will also feel this way. ^_~