Making religion the subject of a comic book – or any medium, really – is never an easy thing. As a creator you have a right to tell your story the way you want it to be told, but as with any sensitive subject, you have to keep in mind who your target audience is and how they’ll react to your world. It’s unfortunate then, whether they feel misrepresented as a group, or that a part of society is being romanticized that shouldn’t even be mentioned out in the open, it’s almost inevitable that someone will get offended. There just isn’t much you can do about it.
But, even though the word “Atheists” is right on the cover of the first issue of “S.H.O.O.T. First,” I don’t really think this is the place to spark a religious debate. All of my views concerning that aspect of the comic will be contained in the following paragraph. If you want to skip over it, my review of the comic as a comic book starts right after that.
You really have two ways to go with a tag line like “Angels vs Atheists,” don’t you? Either treat it as a gimmick to attract readers, or use it as a catalyst to explore a deeper meaning that relates back to society as a whole. “S.H.O.O.T First” – at least the first issue – chose to be gimmicky. A dedicated group of non-believers use tools and knowledge that only they possess to battle religious symbols/creatures, save mankind, and prevent the end of the world. Doesn’t that description sound a little like a religion in itself? As I read through the issue, some questions stuck in my mind: How can you not believe in a God when you’re battling Angels? How do you, as a member of this elite team of demon hunters, balance non-belief when “proof” is staring at you right in the face? Are they not real angels or demons? Is there another, more scientific explanation? Are religions causing damage to mankind now? I knew the comic had fallen to gimmick level when one of the main characters asks those same questions, and everyone else in the story ignores him. They’re way more concerned with showing off the technology they possess than tackling a very controversial issue. It feels like a waste to gloss over such a key point in the first issue, which should be trying to draw me in as much as possible so I grab the second when it gets here. That needs to be addressed upfront in order for me to enjoy the fight scenes and banter, otherwise I can’t suspended my disbelief.
The first issue itself is a pretty standard sci-fi affair; a group of highly trained professionals are called in to deal with a catastrophic situation. One regular Joe is on the scene to save the day and be recruited, thereby providing a reasonable pipeline to explain everything about the world of the story to the reader.
When it comes down to it, “S.H.O.O.T. First” is packed with summer blockbuster style fun…but that’s all it is right now. The characters have little depth outside of their weirdly non-stereotypical stereotypes, and over half of the issue is a fight scene where the majority of the vocabulary they use hasn’t even been defined yet. It’s pretty to look at, and might even be good for a laugh or two, but there’s no reason to linger in these pages.
If I sound overly harsh, it’s only because I wanted so badly for this comic to be good. The subject matter is so perfect. It could be a great analogy about what it’s like to be Atheist in a very God-centered world. Instead, they chose to focus more on shooting things and secret underground bases. That’s fine, but I sincerely hope it finds more depth in future issues.
“S.H.O.O.T. First” was created by Justin Aclin and Nicolás Daniel Selma, and will be available on October 16th.