Comic Book Review - Mamo #1

Rob reviews Mamo #1...

Ever since the preview for Sas Milledge's Mamo dropped into my inbox I've been eagerly awaiting issue #1's release. The official preview pages not only teased what sounded like an excellent story, but we also got to see a few pages of gorgeous artwork by Milledge. Now a couple of months later Mamo is finally here. And it doesn't disappoint.

Published under BOOM! Studios' BOOM! Box imprint, Mamo tells the story of Haresden, a small town with a bit of a magic problem. After the death of the local witch, the use of magic is running amok through the streets of Haresden. As such a local teen named Jo approaches Orla - the Witches granddaughter - for help in curing her Mother. As Orla struggles with her Grandmother's namesake, Jo realises that Witches are quite different to the stories. 

Oh boy, where to begin? 

Mamo #1 is a great opening part. Not only do we get quite an original story, but we're also treated to some brilliant art and writing from Sas Milledge. Her art style is very unique and each character has a lot of detail in that they can tell the story with very little conversation. There's plenty of gorgeous facial expressions that do wonders in portraying each character's emotions underneath Milledge's dialogue.

Orla is fastly becoming one of my favourite comic book characters as the young witch just oozes with personality with many small traits coming out via her expressions and mannerisms. There's a small detail as the duo enter Jo's house and Orla's gaze lingers on a photo of Jo and her family. Whilst it's just a small scene it shows that Orla is somewhat alone, even more so with the death of her Grandmother. Milledge builds on this uneasiness more as Orla struggles to "fit in" with Jo's family and her mannerisms feeling somewhat awkward - especially to Jo's siblings. 

Considering the use of magic makes up a big part of the Mamo world, its use and more specifically its source isn't explained to the reader. Until this point, there is some interaction regarding the source with both Orla and Jo talking about the Fae and how this being/force has been terrorising the town. Yet the rest of the story focuses on the characters rather than its world-building. The tale takes a somewhat darker tone towards the end as Orla confronts the mysterious Mamo within the attic of Jo's home. This is where the magical aspect is more prevalent as both Mamo and Orla essentially struggle against each other. 

Mamo #1 is a very strong opening. Considering Sas Milledge has created this comic on her own is truly fantastic. She's not only created a wonderful story but we've also been given a masterpiece in expressionism.  There's still plenty of mysticism that surrounds both Haresden, its inhabitants and the titular Mamo. And I for one can not wait to see what happens next. 

Rating 10/10 

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev