#IReadsYou Review: 55 #1

55 #1
DOODLE 4NF

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Gary Yap
12pp, Color, $1.99 U.S.

55 is a new digital comic book series written and drawn by Gary Yap.  55 imagines Emmy Award-winning actress, Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files”), as a James Bond-like spy.  Whereas Bond is agent “007,” Anderson's character is agent “55.”  The sale of 55 raises money for the Neurofibromatosis Network, for which Anderson is an honorary spokesperson.

55 #1 opens an a sleek jet that is in a state of distress.  Inside, two women battle.  One is has a gauntlet of razor-sharp claws, and the other is calm and self-assured.  But which is the hero?!  She wasn't supposed to make it this far.  With a nod to the past and a plunge into the future, enter the world of 55, the renegade “Factor” whose life is a constant series of cliffhangers.

THE LOWDOWN:  If you visit the Neurofibromatosis Network's website, dear readers, you will learn about Neurofibromatosis, including the follow:

Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic disorder of the nervous system which causes tumors to form on the nerves anywhere in the body at any time. This progressive disorder affects all races, all ethnic groups and both sexes equally. NF is one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States (one in every 2,500 to 3,000 births). The neurofibromatoses affects more than 100,000 Americans; this makes NF more prevalent than Cystic Fibrosis, hereditary Muscular Dystrophy, Huntington’s Disease and Tay Sachs combined.

Film and television actress, Gillian Anderson, is best known for the role of FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the long-running TV series, The X-Files (1993-2002, 2016-2018).  From 1996 to 1999, Anderson earned four Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her performance in “The X-Files,” and won the Emmy in 1997.  Anderson also received an Emmy nomination for her role in the BBC's “Bleak House.”  Anderson's late brother suffered from Neurofibromatosis as a child.

Gary Yap has worked as storyboard artist, producer, and/or director in live-action film and television.  From 1997 to 2005, Yap worked as a storyboard artist, layout artist, or assistant director on Fox's long-running animated series, "King of the Hill" (1997-2010).

The three come together for what will hopefully be a long-running and fun comic book, entitled #55.  Gary Yap's work as a storyboard artist really shows in this first chapter.  Each page has a stylish sense of design, but the sense of movement in action, drama, and story is as evident as the graphic design; story is most important here.  In his cartoon version of Gillian Anderson, Yap captures actress' sexiness and innate sense of humor.  Still, the spy Anderson also has an air of menace about her, as if to let the readers know that neither she nor her comic book is a joke or a parody.

Honestly, if you are a fan of Anderson, how can you not read 55, especially because the purchase of it gives money to charity...  I'm certainly ready for more.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of spy/secret agent comic books, of Gillian Anderson, and of comics that raise money for charity will want to drive 55.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


Buy 55 #1 at comiXology or at https://www.comixology.com/Gary-Yap/comics-creator/7568

https://www.gamesradar.com/gillian-anderson-stars-in-her-own-comic-book-to-raise-money-for-a-good-cause/
https://twitter.com/ByGaryYap
https://twitter.com/GillianA
https://twitter.com/nfnetwork
https://www.nfnetwork.org/
https://www.facebook.com/NeurofibromatosisNetwork/?ref=ts
https://www.youtube.com/user/nfincvideo


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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