Ben Wolstenholme is a cheater, but a damn good one.
The co-creator of the Madefire comic cook app, Wolstenholme’s creation is set to change the face of comics. The app simply does things you don’t expect a comic book to do, but always want it to.
A hybrid of flash technology and a high-quality motion comic, MadeFire challenges the idea of what the medium is capable of when pushed past convention and forced to reinvent itself.
Wolstenholme’s own series (with collaboration from Liam Sharp, also a co-creator of Madefire) for the application, “Mono,†may not be as monumental achievement as Madefire, but the first episode in the series, “The Old Curiosity Shop,†is an enjoyable read that makes the most out of their brainchild’s features.
There’s just so many things working well here. From the sound, to the fluid transitions and plethora of visual effects, the gritty display of colors, shooting saliva and the panoramic splash pages, aesthetically, “Mono†is a treat. The story, which feels like “Hellboy†meets “Sandman†tale, is rich in character. Mono, the half-man, half-ape assassin for the Queen of England is as tough as they come.
To see him savagely take apart Nazis is almost as enjoyable as Steve Rogers doing the very same thing.
The twist in the story is the Quentin Tarantino/ Guillermo Del Toro opener that sets the emotional stakes high. A man in need of remembering, Mono’s old confidant takes the reader back to his friend’s glory days. Although we see just a glimpse of what both characters are capable of, it’s enough to warrant a click to download episode two.
Behind beautifully done art and a wartime thriller theme, “Mono†is a digital comic you can definitely bite into.
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