It takes more than a good story to sell a manga. As such, publishers/creators often opt for social media blitzkrieg, or the relative “safety” of Kickstarter. But for Kid Maroon, writer Christopher Cantwell and Vault Comics have decided to create this new story about a disgraced creator (Pep Shepard), lost comics, and the meta flourishes that seem to be trending these days. Invented a rich backstory.
And there’s no arguing that Kid Maroon’s campaign wasn’t fun. Well, we ourselves were pretty enthusiastic about it, but at the end of the day, if the story isn’t good and doesn’t make sense, no matter how dizzy you are, it doesn’t matter.
Luckily, Kid Maroon is pretty excited.
Courtesy of Vault Comics.
The actual story is that the titular hero (whose real name is Walden Maroon) is basically a young genius, but he’s more of a fast-talking 1930s PI than he is of building robots and rockets. So Kid Maroon leaves his hometown and moves to Crimeville, where he solves all kinds of murder and corruption cases. He’d be like Dennis the Menace if he wasn’t so shitty.
However, the pre-adolescent head in the fedora is heavy, and Kid is a little tired after working for two years. When will he become a child? And is this PI’s life all messed up? And it is in that axis, or focus, that proves why Cantwell is such a fascinating storyteller. Because, simply without more, “Child Detective” would be a good, if not a little boring (and perhaps short-sighted) story. And in Kid Maroon, he’s not only a good soul trying to do the right thing, but he’s also very influenced by his own knowledge and intellect and the weight of the world.
In this way, Kid Maroon is a story about many things. What it’s like to be a child in an increasingly terrifying and complex world. The pressure of integrity in a world that is anything but. And that even the most perceptive of us need to be human sometimes. It’s also a meditation or commentary on detective and pulp stories. There’s something stupid and indicative about a kid (even a smart kid) using his wits to interact with a thug. (But perhaps that’s the point: it’s a ridiculous premise, and we have to be willing to accept it in order to squeeze the most truth out of it.)
Courtesy of Vault Comics.
But Kid Maroon is more than just a story about layered themes and narrative exploration. We have a lot of sympathy for Walden as a whole. He has so much promise and ability, but he doesn’t know how to enjoy the world he’s trying to make better. It’s a kind of empathy that deepens when Kid meets his “sidekick” Billy Beans, and how Kid desperately tries to connect but continues to filter himself through this PI’s “shit.” is drawing. In that sense, it’s another layer of the story, but most of the time it’s just a way to connect us to this larger struggle of just trying to survive in a world that is a very taxing prospect. Part of that connection grounds and contextualizes Kid Maroon’s work, moving it from something with many bells and whistles to a simple story of a good kid in a truly crazy world.
It’s a pulse of emotion that runs through the story, not only making it more grounded and relatable, but actually expanding on some of the title’s inherent gimmicks. To reiterate what I said earlier, if Kid Maroon wasn’t as wealthy and approachable as he is, the cheesy narration wouldn’t play and the incident involving wild tigers would feel overly silly, this story would be better. It doesn’t work at all. Go to question #1.
Courtesy of Vault Comics.
Of course, Kid Maroon would not have been possible without Cantwell’s collaborators, writer/artist/co-creator Victor Santos (of Polar fame) and colorist Mattia Iacono. Because it all comes down to using classic crime gimmicks and tropes to make it feel appropriately silly and fun (without interfering with its darkness and intensity). And while that happens in several ways within the storyline (as mentioned above), it’s actually the artwork that most obviously realizes this dynamic.
Santos’ entire style and approach is about perfectly riding the line between vintage and modern. From Kid Maroon’s own design (his hair and bow tie are perfect) to the retro architecture and supporting characters, Santos understands the drama and specificity of these noir tales. And yet, he has enough of a cartoonish style that everything feels bigger, bolder, more exaggerated, and once again doesn’t spoil the seriousness of the moment or give us It can make things feel strangely familiar and fun without making us feel. It doesn’t help much in this dark and complicated world.
Add in Iacono’s colors (again, it’s all vintage/retro, with some of the magic and geekiness of comics thrown in) and the world feels big and multifaceted, but still… As you can see, you can grasp it firmly and play with it. fit. It is an amalgamation of themes, places and traditions, where similarities and disagreements are compared and contrasted with extraordinary power.
Courtesy of Vault Comics.
And there are still other aspects that expand Kid Maroon’s potential. Shadows and lighting are a big part of noir and pulp. How else would we know that someone is evil or that this city has a terrible night? The same dynamic is present in this book, even though there is so much color and intensity throughout this debut novel. This is another way of highlighting the ‘contradictions’ at the heart of the book, but also doing so in a humorous yet challenging way for the reader. As the Kid brings down a slingshot in a dark room, the overall atmosphere gives space to many big emotions and ideas, each landing as carefully and thoughtfully as the others.
It’s similar to the way violence is treated in this book. The violence is bold and bloody, so it’s not at all shy about complicating the story of this young man in crisis. It also exists within a larger context, and the fact that it doesn’t exist for pure excitement means it has even greater thematic value and purpose. (It may offset the humor in some important ways.)
Kid’s journey may be different for everyone. That is, you may feel more in line with one theme’s goals than another, but it’s always a deeply empathetic process that avoids gimmicks, jokes, and other stuff to tell a truly great story. pursue the essence of
So whether this is a story about goodness in a bad world or trying to maintain one’s self amidst chaos, Kid Maroon is light years beyond its marketing ploys and gimmicks. It takes the first, slightly crazy “birth” and turns into a powerful story about people trying to be good, even when things get messy at times. I think this child is really okay.
“Kid Maroon” #1 opens the door to a silly but powerful crime story
Kid Maroon #1
Forget about marketing and gimmicks. “Kid Maroon” is a fun pulp that charms bow ties and makes you want to move to Crimeville.
Kid Maroon’s core themes feel powerful, yet always deeply human and relatable.
The art team greatly cultivates the joy and intensity of the duels that characterize this book.
It’s a great slice of pulp that feels fresh and modern in its scope and larger intent.
Some people may not be able to get past the initial clever marketing strategy and become frustrated and irritated.
