Brambletyne’s A-J Foulkes has brought together a group of some of the most exciting artist on the UK small press scene to create Project Autumn #1, the first instalment of his long awaited story about a man jumping between worlds. But can Foulkes and his cream of the artistic crop produce a book which matches both the talent and the hype?

Publisher: Brambletyne Studios
Writer: Adam-James Foulkes
Artist: Emma Vieceli, Lynne Triplett, Nich Angell, Sonia Leong, Phil Buckenham, Daniel Attard, Davy Shirley, Nikki Stu, Matt Dyson, Ade Brown
Price: £5.00 at www.Brambletyne.com

Our rating: [star rating=”3.5″]

Project Autumn tells the story of Orion, a troubled young man with a love of video games, who finds himself ‘volunteered’ to become a ‘Sunsetter’, a being whose job is to destroy worlds which have been flagged as ready to end. So, with assistance and guidance of a faceless interface, Orion finds himself transitioned between many different worlds, all of which are on the verge of ending and require his not so subtle influence to push them over the edge. However, will Orion find himself a vocation to which he is ideally suited to and, if so, what will he gain from it and, ultimately, what might it cost him?

Project Autumn is an enjoyably frenetic, fast paced story which feels incredibly immersive and epic. The pace here goes nought to sixty straight from the get go as writer A-J Foulkes gives us a plot which feels very much like Assassin’s Creed crossed with Sliders, maybe with a touch of Reapers mixed in, though on a grander scale. However, despite the breakneck pace the book gives off, it is bogged down somewhat by the cluttered writing. This is a title which fits a great deal into it and, while exposition is necessary, it sometime feels like more is used than is necessary instead of simply allowing the story to unfold naturally. That said, the finale, while not a cliffhanger leaves a lot of questions to tease the reader back, as the information given sets up some interesting growth going forward, notably in the expansion of the two main characters.

As for the art, which shows each of the army of artists on board draw pages based upon which world the story is focusing on, while it may have initially been the draw to the book, it’s safe to say after the execution that that aspect is delivered here without fault. Despite there being numerous styles of multiple talent on display, each and every one steps up to provide something beautiful. What’s more, each style looks to have been perfectly matched to its respective world, particularly Lynne Triplett whose unique, manga inspired artwork meshes perfectly in the techno world visited. Sadly, if there is one problem with the art it is that of a lack of space as all ten artists, dishing up the pages between them, rarely get the space to make much impact, the notable exception being the half page splash of a dragon. That said though, this first issue feels like a taster of things to come and, if each artist gets more space, it’s highly probable that each one will be bringing something special.

Project Autumn #1, despite a few niggles, is a fun comic book which nicely showcases the talents of Small Press’ top artists while laying the groundwork for a truly original and interesting story. If you are a fan of an exciting tale, or simply a lover a great art then get this book, because you’ll find both of these in spades.