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All Nighter #1

Reviewed by David O' Leary

ALL NIGHTER #1
Advance Review - On Sale 22nd June 2011

Story & Art by: David Hahn
Cover by: David Hahn
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $2.99
Reviewed By: David O' Leary

Book Summery: Kit Bradley is a 20 year-old art student and petty criminal who knows it's time to leave her delinquent past behind, but isn't ready for the responsibilities of adulthood. Her social headquarters is an all night diner, and while trying to put the ';off' on an on-again-off-again boyfriend, she runs into an old flame, and an enigmatic loner named Martha, whose mysterious disappearance will alter Kit's life forever. Created by Eisner and Ignatz Award nominee DAVID HAHN.

"Stealing Coins"

David Hahn has an uncanny ability to create slice of life pieces of work that stand out in a crowded field. Having been nominated for an Eisner Award for Best New Title in 2001 for his Slave Labor Graphics creator owned book Private Beach, Hahn gets back to creator owned material after having toyed around Marvel and DC for several years. Now Hahn is up to old tricks as in All Nighter #1 I think I have found an early runner for best single issue of the year following from last years winner in another Image book, Bulletproof Coffin #1.+

There is a wonderful opening page where we are introduced to Kit Bradley sitting on the roof of her local haunt the All Nighter. She watches her boyfriend walk in. He doesn't look up to see her. She tells us she is breaking up with him. She tells us it is the second hardest thing she will have done in her life after killing her mother. Now that, my friends, is how you structure an opening scene that grabs you hook, line and sinker.

Hahn handles a large cast with astonishing ease. As we are introduced to them we begin to form our opinions of them. Dwayne, the on again off again boyfriend has his charms even if he is destined to go through life constantly tethering on the edge of the fine line dividing a life in prison and a life of petty theft. But he is the epitome of life's bad choices that Kit is doing a bad job of running away from.

Kit has an interesting relationship with her family. After her confession in the opening scene that she killed her mother, there is a scene where she eats with her father and brother and although they appear to be getting along mostly, Hahn throws enough in that makes you think that there is a lot to be discovered about the family dynamic in coming issues more so as to how her father and herself dealt with her mothers passing as she appears to have a better relationship with her brother.

The impact of the art cannot be overstated. Hahn's style is perfect for the tone and every page is wonderfully fleshed out. A highlight of the issue was a double page spread of the interior of the All Nighter, where every table was filled, every person looked individual and was doing something different, the page was busy and I spent longer looking at that spread than reading what was on it. The overall black and white look of the book is great, I don't think the book would have the impact it did on me if it was in colour.
Certain vestiges of the book make me nostalgic for books like Strangers in Paradise; the strong flawed female lead, the instantly likeable cast, a story you dive willingly into, the great art among others. Hahn has a winner on his hands here and when it goes on sale June 22nd and you read it for yourself, I'm sure you'll agree.

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Reviewer Bio

David has been with CR since June 2008 and started out as a reviewer and has expanded to do a couple of columns for the site also; starting with 28 Words Later with artist Declan Shalvey and later 5 Minutes With... where he talks with the industries best and brightest from Kubert to Moore.