Both the solicitation and preview for Sirens of the City #1 caught my attention with the unique style being presented by writer Joanne Starer and artist Khary Randolph. Having the series set in the 1980s New York gives the story an immediate period piece setting now that 80s are 40 years ago. Adding fantasy and supernatural elements to this period of New York City provide plenty of opportunity to make Sires of the City a cool new comic book series. With that said we got an early copy of the first issue. Find out how it turns out with an advance review of Sirens of the City #1.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Joanne Starer
Artist: Khary Randolph
Letterer: Andworld Design
SYNOPSIS
“New York City. 1980s. Runaway teen Layla struggles to survive on the mean streets, far from home.
But now every supernatural creature from the darkest corners of the urban grime is after Layla… and the child-to-be she never wanted growing inside her….” – BOOM! Studios
REVIEW
Right away what stands out from Sirens of the City #1 is how much of a character late-1980s New York City is. Writer Janne Starer and artist Khary Randolph tap into how much the city is reflective of the people that live in it. Everything from the various style to dialogue to the look of the city compliments one another. It is what makes New York City itself a character because of the combination of all these things.
One of the strengths of Sirens of the City #1 is the pacing of the story. Starer and Randolph slow play the fantasy aspects of the story. The story is first and foremost about the characters, particularly our lead character, Layla. In the process we explore much of this version of New York City through Layla’s experience. This allows the story to stay focused on the characters we meet while we slowly learn more about the mythology of the world.
Layla is not just a guide. Starting off in a spot where she is in survival mode we get a lead who isn’t going to be pushed around while searching for how she’ll find the answers she wants. Through all of her interactions Layla is present as a teen who has already had plenty of experiences that have shaped how she approaches everything.
Layla’s presentation makes how Sirens of the City #1 introduces the fantasy aspect of the story be a natural part of what is going on. The presentation of these fantasy aspects are reminiscent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There is a whole world that’s filled with character and personality. It all makes you want to learn more about the mythology that Sirens of the City has.
All of the storytelling wouldn’t work without Khary Randolph incredible artwork. From the fashion to the New York City setting Randolph does a fantastic job at capturing the 1980s. Having a black and white color palette makes how red, blue, and purple are mixed into panels make the artwork pop even more. Randolph also makes sure to set a tone for how the fantasy aspects of the story will be handled. It all gets you ready to see when Randolph gets to draw even more of the fantasy aspect, especially during future action sequences.
FINAL THOUGHTS
From character to world building Sirens of the City #1 is an incredible start to this new series by Joanne Starer and Khary Randolph. The 1980s New York City setting is crafted to be filled with personality thanks to a strong series lead. Randolph’s artwork steals the show that makes this one of the best-looking comic books you will find. A must-have comic book all around.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10