Project: Achilles - First Impression + Interview
World War 2 has a lot of stories, be sure to add this to the list, check out this upcoming Superhero, Historical Webcomic Written by Hannah Bishop, and illustrated by Nico Gamboa called Project: Achilles. I read all three chapters of Project: Achilles, which was all that was available to read. Get ready to read my first impression, review, and interview with the creator for a behind-the-scenes experience.
Synopsis
It's been a few months since Dutch escaped the lab of Dr. Franz Teudt, and he's desperate to kill the man who performed medical experiments on him as a POW. His chance comes in the form of Project: Achilles, a program intended to train superhumans to be an elite unit in the army. He's not exactly impressed with his crop of candidates, but as things worsen across the Atlantic, it becomes clear that they're the best chance they've got against Germany's growing army of super soldiers.
REVIEW
Plot
When it comes to originality, it reminds me of Marvel's Captain America. It's based in the 1940s world war II with Germany and the whole super-soldier aspect.
Characters
I've been introduced to a handful of characters. Every character feels realistic in this comic. I understand their motivations, who they are, and why they would sign-up for this super army program. The interactions between characters flow as if I were watching a good movie. Every piece of dialogue is important to the story. Each issue those a fantastic job showcasing each candidate.
Art
The line art and coloring are polished. The art style seems inspired by American graphic novels. It looks well made and ready to be printed in stores.
Feedback
If I was to just be nit-picky and find some issues, I'd say; format your comic for mobile readers. Then again, this has nothing to do with your plot, artwork, or characters. I really tried to find something negative, but I truly didn't see any major issues.
Conclusion
Three chapters aren't enough for me to give me a final verdict in this particular comic. However, I will say that I am anticipating seeing the opposing super soldiers, the interactions with Dutch, and the rest of the candidates. I want to see more of Dutch, how he deals with his PTSD, and how he gets his revenge on Dr. Franz Teudt. Overall, I think it'll be fun to see these supers in action on the war.
INTERVIEW
How long have you been creating comic books?
Close to a year, now for me (the writer). Nico (the artist) has been at it a lot longer than I.
What inspirations did you have behind this project?
There were a lot of different inspirations for "Project: Achilles". A lot of the characters have real-life inspirations, like Audie Murphy, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, and even my great-grandpa. I got the idea for the plot from a couple of episodes of my favorite podcast, "Last Podcast on the Left": specifically, a series they did on Joseph Mengele, and an episode they did on Unit 731. I'd always wanted to do an alternate history with World War Two, and after I listened to those episodes, I decided that superhumans in World War Two fighting German super soldiers was the perfect story to tell.
What are the main themes behind the series?
I'd say that the themes that show up the most are probably overcoming prejudice and various mental health topics.
What do you have to say about a certain character from your series?
I decided to talk about Lee Choi because I think that a lot of the things he goes through are things that a lot of people can still relate to, today. A lot about Lee was actually inspired by a photograph of a Chinese-American woman in Miami, who would take a Chinese flag to the beach with her so she wouldn't be harassed for being Japanese. Lee is a Korean-American, who, thanks to the fact that he lives on the west coast of the U.S. during World War Two, is constantly harassed by people who think he's Japanese, but he keeps his head up and keeps working hard to get where he wants to be in life.
How do you come up with the characters in your story?
Mostly, I take bits and pieces from either real people from the period or people from my life. I also try to think of viewpoints from the time that I think isn't talked about often enough, like Asian Americans, or members of the pachuco movement.
How long are you planning this series to run?
I don't have an exact number of issues, but it'll be for a while.
Any teasers you want to give your readers?
The beach episode is going to be killer!
SUPPORT THE CREATOR
Hannah's Instagram: www.instagram.com/art_of_bishop Nico's Instagram: www.instagram/com/nico.comicart
ABOUT ME
My name is Imani aka MaddMoniArt, I’m the creator of the psychological thriller manga Bleakville, and the founder of MaddIndies, a blog where I review and support independent webcomics. Go behind-the-scenes into the creative process of Art & Comics with me, as I draw stuff, review webcomics, interview other creators, share techniques, and try to create my own manga.
Follow me on Instagram @MaddMoniArt
Watch me on YouTube.com/maddmoniart
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