Deathgift #1 - My life is so dark man

Deathgift #1

Deathgift is an independent comic written by Scott Duckett, art by Headkutter and published by Overdark Comics. I back a lot of comic books from crowd funding websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo as it is a great way to support independent creators both local and international and because I enjoy Internet shopping that I don't need to actually pay for for up to 30 days. I've picked up some of my favourite comics from crowd funding campaigns such as Carmen and Fly The Colour Fantastica and a few average comics but I'm pretty easy to please (especially with creator owned comics) so I've never really felt annoyed that I spent money until I received my copy of Deathgift.

The cover is actually pretty cool though

Deathgift begins with an introduction from our main character (who is never named) explaining that he is immortal but the luster of living forever wore off hundreds of years ago and a lot of dark things about how life is meaningless. The introduction continues to set the scene explaining that he is in Metatron a city that was built around a maximum security prison after it was taken over by the prisoners. The main character wakes up in an alley, after being shot in the head, and begins running from the police after a shots fired call leading them on a high speed chase in his car, The Commander.

The spread of the car is pretty good which makes me think the rest of the comic was written around it

The art of Deathgift is not bad but is so dark its actually hard to see whats going on so much so that I feel like this was intended to be digital format and read on a screen with a back light. There is actually a panel that has a half deleted text box in it and one thing that I really dislike is a "finished" product that has mistakes like that as it just makes the whole thing look unprofessional. There is a fantastic two page spread in the center of the comic of the car, The Commander, and seems like the entire comic was made around doing this spread of the car.

I hope that half deleted text box didn't have any important dialogue

The only thing we know about the main character is that he hates the corrupt world that he is forced to continue living in yet seems to continue making it worse by committing the very crimes he seems to despise and blows up a bunch of cops, the people that are trying to make the world better.

I'm very forgiving, easily pleased and usually when I'm not a fan I tend to just think "ehh not my cup of tea" but I really don't see anyone except 14 year olds who's parents "just don't get them you know" actually enjoying Deathgift. The introduction at the beginning just seems like it was trying to include as many grotesque words as possible with one of the first sentences referring to the world as a "puss filled scab of despair". For me the whole thing just seems, for lack of a better word, emo. For a comic advertised "A story of an immortal lost soul whose life won't let him go. Packed with dark humor, violence, stunning visuals and gripping stories." I found it lacking in everything except the violence.

I give Deathgift 1 out of 5 THE PAIN...'s

My life is nothing but pain man.