I’ll start off by saying if I see a new comic on the shelves with a $1 cover price there aren’t too many factors that will prevent me from making the purchase. Boom! Studios has debuted several new series in 2011 and 2012 at that price. With so many comics sitting at $3.99, this method should be a sure way to entice readers to pick it up and try something new. This new series Extermination continues that trend.

The setting for this book is a post-apocalyptic world which forces a hero and a villain to work together. Nox and Red Reaper, hero and villain respectively, have a unique relationship in this new world. The hatred that a reader would expect to exist between the two isn’t quite there as it is more of a level of contempt. It’s as if they’ve interacted with one another for long enough and have adjusted to this world so they tolerate each other. They also represent the dynamic between good and evil. It pops up in their dialogue at several points in the book.

Nox has many parallels to Batman. That aspect of the book may not exactly turn readers away, but it will definitely scream out to them. The creators either don’t try to get around it or do it intentionally. His look is very similar to the Dark Knight. The in-panel description describes him as “nocturnal knight of righteous redemption.” The nocturnal part is the key. He also calls himself a detective, which by itself isn’t an issue, but combined with the other elements screams Batman.

There’s a feature of the book that will catch readers off-guard and perhaps confuse them. The story jumps between the past and the present without warning or captions declaring it. A white border around the pages is used to distinguish between the two time periods. It’s neat because it allows the artist to have a larger role in the storytelling.

I read a lot of comics and I do like to try out new books. Being an adventurous reader already, a low-price of $1 doesn’t require much of a choice. The top reason for recommending this is the price. You don’t have a lot to lose with the purchase. A second reason is the setting. It could lead to some good stories if done right. The character set-up is decent and there’s some action. I’ll look out for the second issue but at a higher price.

Created by Matt Gagnon, the book is written by Simon Spurrier, drawn by Jeffrey Edwards, colored by Blond, and lettered by Ed Dukeshire. Extermination #1 hit stores on June 6th, 2012.


I paid the one dollar for this comic book myself.