Uncanny Valley is a comic book that certainly got my attention by the cover alone. The premise of a kid having a mysterious power that leads him to experience all the fantasy worlds is intriguing. Seeing how the creative team of Tony Fleecs and Dave Wachter create their own versions of Looney Toons, Street Fighter, and worlds should be fun to see. We got the chance to check out an early copy of Uncanny Valley #1 ahead of its release. Find out how it turned out with our advance review.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Tony Fleecs
Artist: Dave Wachter
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
SOLICITATION
“Oliver is a seemingly typical 12-year-old boy… except for a mysterious family history that seems to start and end with his mother, and unexplainable powers, that is. He can do things other boys can’t, to the point of landing him in some trouble. Baffled by the surreal cartoonish nature of his abilities and followed by a murder of peculiar crows, the mystery behind Oliver’s family history finally unfolds!
Written by fan-favorite writer Tony Fleecs (Stray Dogs, Local Man) and illustrated by acclaimed artist Dave Wachter (Punisher, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), discover what makes Oliver special and strange as he searches for his place in the world.”
REVIEW
When it comes to Uncanny Valley #1 Tony Fleecs and Dave Wachter deliver a comic book that was nothing what is expected. While the preview for Uncanny Valley #1 does show us that the story starts in the “real world” it is not too long before you question what is going on.
The way the story is structured you are immediately placed in a similar spot as our young 12-year-old kid’s shoes. As soon as you see what happens to Oliver compared to his classmates when they do the dumb thing kids that age do a lot of questions come to mind. Your confusion as to what or who Oliver is matches his own thoughts.
Creating that sense of not knowing what is going on is a tone that the rest of Uncanny Valley #1 carries. Focusing on how Oliver is a new kid at his school does create a veil of him just failing to fit in and make friends. This focus is carried by the attitude the adults, particularly his mom, have when it comes to what we learn about Oliver in his first few days at his new school.
Both Fleecs dialogue and Wachter’s artwork work together well to tell this story about what Oliver is going through. Everything is timed so you wonder who knows the truth and if things are being made up to make Oliver look bad.
Which all works to make the wild turn in the second half of Uncanny Valley #1 hit you as surprising as it does to Oliver. It was especially surprising seeing the tone that was taken once this turn happened. Right away a bunch of theories start running through your head when the shift happens.
The second half of the story certainly puts over how much fun Wachter is going to be having with everything he’ll get to draw in this series. We see the versatility that we can expect from Wachter. Having this hint of how he plans to utilize different types of character designs is a major selling point to pick up every issue of this series.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Uncanny Valley #1 is a wild start that leaves you excited to see what turn this ride will take you on. Tony Fleecs and Dave Wachter certainly deliver on getting you invested on the young lead characters journey. Watcher’s artwork in particular creates a lot of excitement for the possibilities that are to be had with Uncanny Valley. This is a comic book to pick up as soon as you can.
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Uncanny Valley #1 will be released in comic book shops and digital storefronts on Wednesday, April 10th. Check out the six-page preview of Uncanny Valley #1 by clicking here.
For more opinions on anime, comic book, movies, and sports you can follow Kevin on Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, and X.