Review: Kranburn #1

The thing that got me hooked about Kranburn #1 occurred on the opening page, which showed a beaten-up old car nosing into some bushes, behind a bullet-riddled freeway sign bearing the message, "Welcome to Cranbourne", which had been spray-painted to read "Kranburn". Not such a dramatic scene when I retell it in words, but the way it was staged, with the car ambling noisily behind the sign, its engine going "chug, chug, chug" all the while, really caught my attention. For some reason, the deliberate pacing of this scene, and the cartoony sound-effects instantly reminded me of Richard Corben's early 1970s underground comix work, especially Rowlf. And with that, I laid my money on the counter of Melbourne's All Star Comics shop, and walked out with Kranburn #1 tucked under my arm.

And I'm mighty glad I did. Ben Michael Byrne, author and illustrator, has turned out one of the most pleasing and entertaining debuts of any new Australian comic that I've read in recent times. The story is a post-apocalyptic adventure set around Melbourne's war-ravaged south-eastern suburbs. Aside from the pun-in-cheek references to various Melbourne place names, ("Duvtunn", "the 'Nong", etc), the appeal of this comic lies in its decidedly reluctant (and squeamish) anti-hero, Brand, it's straightforward yet imaginative layouts, and the script's disclosure of sufficient information to convey the essence of the story, without weighing down the dialogue with a lot of wordy exposition. I also enjoyed the fact that Byrne wasn't afraid to use broad Australian vernacular and slang, which really helped to give his characters a distinctive 'speaking voice'.

Too often I choose not to review a lot of recently self-published Australian comics, because their overall quality has simply been woeful. But I had no hesitation in doing so for Kranburn #1, which was a thoroughly enjoyable, blood-soaked romp, that left me eagerly awaiting the next issue - and if you buy a copy for yourself, I reckon you will be, too. (Kranburn #1, available from FEC Comics. Webcomic version can be viewed here.)