- The First Americans
- Critical Entertainment
- Written by Christopher Reda
- Illustrated by Tadd Galusha
- Letters by Travis Lanham
- Chapters 1-3 available now
At the end of the Ice Age 14,000 years ago and on the verge of starvation, a Tribe of Paleo-Indians travel across from Siberia into North America to hunt an elusive pack of Mammoths; but when they fail to hunt down the beasts, the tribe members must adapt to their new surroundings before becoming extinct.
In 2023, I was contacted by Christopher Reda, from comic publisher Critical Entertainment. He asked if ThePullbox would be interested in covering a few of their titles, and one stood out among the review pdfs they sent. I reviewed what would turn out to be one of my favorite comics of that year, The Cowboy With Many Hats. It was a fantastic example of how readers could have the cake of cowboys and gunfights, while still being able to chew on a satisfying meal of layered characters and storytelling. Fast-forward to present, and the creative team of Christopher Reda and Tadd Galusha are still spinning out great comics.
In The First Americans, readers are in for a treat! With their powers combined, Reda and Galusha have brewed up the perfect blend of story and art with a near-perfect example of “show, don’t tell”. The dialogue is minimal but there’s no mistaking the high stakes drama on the page.
Reda tells the story of a group of Paleo-Indians as they follow their food (a herd of mammoths) across the Berring Land Bridge, to what would some day be known as North America. The story runs in two parallel lines, tracking the adventures of a man and a woman as they make the journey separately. Dissatisfied with the status quo, “Clovis” forges ahead after clashing with a rival hunter during lean times. Soon enough, “Sierra” follows accompanied by a group who splinter off from the larger tribe hoping to find a better life. Both are leaders, leaving the known path for the chance at a better future for themselves and their people.
Galusha’s work nails it from page one. It isn’t just a matter of matching art to the script, because the art is a huge factor in telling a story like this. The collaboration in the creation of The First Americans had to be dialed in from the start. It’s in Galusha’s attention to detail. His character designs need to show who these people are in everything from posture to facial expressions because there are no grand monologues to do the lifting. Farther than that, Galusha dug deep to make sure the animals… even the extinct ones… and their environments look believable and alive on the page.
Critical Entertainment is available for order through Lunar Distribution, so hit your local shop up to start carrying these books. There’s something for everyone in their lineup, and they back up the quality stories with outstanding production value that’s built to last. They’re doing solid work, keeping the world of independent publishers relevant and vital to the comics industry.
Final Score: 12/13
