Posted in: Comics | Tagged: burn the orphanage, Comics, daniel freedman, entertainment, image comics, Sina grace

Burn The Orphanage #3 Is An Action Book About The Problems Of Love

Published Wed, 05 Mar 2014 16:00:40 -0600

By Alex Wilson

Burn The Orphanage, written by Sina Grace and Daniel Freedman and drawn by Sina Grace, captivated me from the first issue. The story follows the adventures of Rock, a rough and tough street fighter orphan who survived his orphanage burning down.

The first three issues of the series are unconventional to say the least. Each issue holds a self-contained story but still builds off the previous one. Rock and his merry band of fighters go through a chaotic world full of gangsters, monsters, aliens, and, most surprising of all, lost love.

The first two issues of the series captured my attention, bringing fresh stories in each issue. The series plays off the tropes and style of old school arcade fighter games. Each story reminds readers who are old enough to remember the time of arcades about a popular game.

I'm a big fan of those old school fighting games and movies. They provided hours upon hours of entertainment for me as a kid. My friends and I would empty quarters into game cabinets to finally beat games. The one I remember most vividly: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

One element I love about this comic series is its ability to provide fresh story telling for each issue and not fall in a story rut. Each issue uses different storytelling styles. Grace and Freedman take risks and provide unpredictable story lines full of action while giving characters soft touches and depth. The characters not only go through physical trials but also face emotional problems, sometimes as the fault of others and sometimes of their own design.

One facet of humanity that Grace and Freedman touch on that's usually left out of traditional action-heavy comic books are the problems associated with love. I know this might seem like an out of place concept in a book of this design but it actually creates a much more enjoyable experience for me as a reader. I can pick up many hard action books and get that particular fix ,but Burn The Orphanage creates a truly memorable world. The characters feel three-dimensional. But, then again, I'm a sucker for a quality story dealing with human emotion and relationships.

The art captures the book perfectly as well. Grace's action sequences flow into each other, creating a smooth transition. I'm a massive fan of monsters and Grace gives me this fix, showing creative creatures that aren't run of the mill. If you're familiar with Grace's work in the past, you would notice this book doesn't follow the type of stories he normally tells. He stretches his artistic muscles in this book while still keeping the insightful stories of his other titles like Li'l Depressed Boy.

The book moves quickly and this is my only complaint. I wish Grace and Freedman had more pages to tell their story as I want to know more about these characters.

In May, however, this book becomes monthly and I'm very excited. So far each issue has been months apart but now Burn The Orphanage will follow a tighter schedule.

If you're a fan of off the wall books full of action and heart, I would highly recommend this Image book. The third issue is $5 and will hit shelves today, March 5^th.

Alex Wilson dropped out of cub scouts at an early age and his life went into a downward spiral since then. He lives in the sinful world of comic books, martial art movies, and seedy tattoo shops. You can find him bare knuckle boxing to pay his rent or tweeting about Teen Wolf on his Twitter, @mralexwilson.

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