Review - No Tomorrow #1

"I'm scared mommy."

Death is unavoidable. It has a way of seeking you out and no one is immune to it. Still though, you have to admit the human insistence to everything in its power to stave it off. What do you do when Death decides to bring down the world around you to complete its goal? You get a book like No Tomorrow #1 from Zenescope Entertainment.

The first issue is written by Raven Gregory, with pencils by JG Miranda, colored by Liezl Buenaventura and lettered by Jim Campbell.

Patrick's life is about to change: he's turning 40. Despite the "over the hill" nature of the birthday, he's got a loving wife and kids, high powered job and also happens to be seeing things. Both while watching coverage of a devastating earthquake in Denver and at his office, there's a mysterious woman looming in the background. Turns out, she's a lot more involved than even Patrick realizes, only he doesn't quite understand the depth of her involvement in disaster.

Gregory's first issue is a little slow on the plot, but it makes up for it in pacing. Featured in the issue are two catastrophic events, with a woman who is likely Death present for both. The question of whether or not she's actually responsible for the events remain to be seen and could make for some really interesting fate/free will scenarios in the next few issues of the mini-series. Gregory infuses the work with a Final Destination feel, as you're on edge waiting for the next major death event to happen. Fortunately, he keeps it relatively fresh, offering a mini-swerve in the first few pages to keep you paying attention.

Miranda's art is understated and effective. There are some facial expressions that are a little odd (like Patrick licking frosting that looks kind of creepy), but overall they succeed at conveying the emotions tied to the horrific tragedies. Death goes between the traditional black robes and scythe and a business power suit, channeling Christina Hendricks in appearance. There are some two-page spreads of all the mayhem, but Miranda doesn't really focus too much on the details of the debris.

You can't beat the Reaper. Especially not when the Reaper is leveling buildings and the landscape to ensure the target is, well, dead. No Tomorrow #1 is shaping up to be a mini-series with a man trying to avoid death once he's actually convinced himself that it may be coming for him. The more interesting scenario would be if Death was actually trying to save him instead, but that's what the next four issues are for.

No Tomorrow #1 hits stores August 28 with interiors below.