Review: The Signifiers

I cannot discuss Michael Neno’s work without first mentioning Jack Kirby.  Jack Kirby is the greatest comic book artist ever.  There are a few that draw better than Kirby, and some that rank higher than Kirby on my list of favorites, but that doesn’t matter.  No one, and I mean absolutely NO ONE, has had as much impact on comics and what they are today than Jack “King” Kirby.  Kirby has been a great influence on artists and writers since he reached his peak popularity during his over 100 issues penciling and co-plotting the Fantastic Four.  There are many artists today who draw inspiration from Kirby or outright emulate him.  I will admit my own art is certainly influenced by Jack, and if mine work doesn’t look like Kirby’s it is because I don’t do a good enough job copying him.  Michael Neno is one of those artists whose work derives heavily from the King.  I do not classify Mike as someone who copies Kirby, but rather someone who does a great job channeling Kirby.

But enough of that.  On to the review!

The Signifiers is another comic I picked up at a recent convention.  It is entirely conceived and crafter by Michael Neno.  It looks great!  The ink work really catches your eye and the back-and-white printing helps this comic look very mysterious and far-out.  Many of the characters are humanoid animals, and they are incredibly visually striking!  The stand-out character is the dog with the human face.  Or is it a human with a dog body?

Which bring me to the story, which I can best describe as far-out!  The world of the signifiers is dark, creepy, and fantastic.  There’s some type of psychic energy all around and factions feuding over territory and power.  Or at least that’s the impression I get.  There’s a lot of mystery and the big question of what the “Voyst” is.  There are lines like “Cosmic consciousness in its most essential form emanates from the Voyst” which sounds very freaky but also like something Kirby would write.

Michael has lots of examples of his work on his website, so check out his work!  It’s old-school greatness!!