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by Chuck Moore

Time for the first of two Rapid Fire Reviews dedicated to the work of Joey Weiser. Today we're covering his mini-comic series Mermin, but we'll be back to talk about his Cavemen in Space book next week. Dipping into the world of indie goodness, let's Recap...

Mermin #1-2
Released - 2010
Self-published by Joey Weiser
Review copies of the issues were provided by the creator

I could start this review with a very easy "fish out of water joke", but that would be too simple. That said, those words do define this story quite well. Here we have a young fish-boy, Mermin, who journeys up out of the water and into the world of man. Well, actually it's the world of kids as he befriends three mere moments after he makes it onto the beach. Within the series, there's a ton of school playground type storytelling as Mermin adjusts to life at school and tries to fit in with our world. Mermin is not without his skills as he openly admits he won't back down from a challenge and, thankfully, he's super strong and quite agile which allows him to back up that stand.

The story here is very light hearted fun for an all ages crowd. That said, there are moments that are quite ominous as there's a back story here that shows Mermin being pursued by the undersea world from which he recently escaped. The creatures that are hunting him offer up some very innocently haunting scenes within the series and I find myself looking forward to how Weiser handles the first major conflict between the pursuers and Mermin.

Weiser's art is both cartoony and highly detailed at the same time. He presents a story that has a very approachable feel, but also encompasses some really solid art and environments. There are scenes within the series that are really quite beautiful, yet hold to the overall feel of the series.

Issue #1 is a full forty pages and introduces us to the character and sets up the interplay between Mermin and his friends and their family. Issue #2 is a shorter read containing less pages (and a reduced price) but draws the reader more into the story itself. I also have to tip my hat to the color Mermin sticker that adorns each issue. It adds a nice touch to the overall presentation.

In the end, this is a story about fitting in and being that outsider at a very awkward age. By presenting the story via this tiny, utterly cute creature from the black lagoon, Weiser can play with the concepts without getting preachy. All in all, it's a wonderful little story and I will be watching for Issue #3. I can recommend this series as a nice, relaxed, fun read and you can learn more about all of Joey's work by visiting tragic-planet.com.

I'm not 100% sure about which books we will be discussing tomorrow, but I will tell you that a three issue catch-up read of Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth's Stumptown from Oni Press is the early odds on favorite to make the column. Until then, cheers!


Reviewer Bio

Chuck Moore (chuck@comicrelated.com) / Creator of Comic Related
What's my story? I grew up in southern Ohio. I owned seven comic shops in the 80's. I moved to Kentucky. I ran a radio station and did an alternative music show in the 90's. I traveled and did press work for the unlimited hydroplane racing series and with ESPN in the 00's. As the current decade heads toward its close, I stopped traveling a bit, bought a farm and started a comic book web site. That's it in a nutshell.



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