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Dingo #1 – Review

Don’t let the cover fool you, Dingo is actually the man’s name. The story follows Dingo, one of the unluckiest people on the planet.  He receives a call from his rock star brother that informs him that he’s sold his Ferrari and left “the box” in the trunk. Dingo rips into his brother asking why the mysterious box was not in the safe where it was suppose to be. Having no real sense of responsibility to the box, Dingo’s brother passes off the task to his assistant, to help him get the box back. Dingo, being unlucky, ends up at a gas station way off course from his Vegas destination and finds the “super” dog named Cerberus. Not an original name at all and even Dingo comments on it. With his new travel companion, Dingo gets back on course to reclaim his mystery box. He meets up with the owner of the Ferrari and breathes a sigh of release upon getting the box back.  At this point the reader is truly asking, “What is the deal with this box and why do I care?”

There’s a supernatural element to the box that allows Dingo’s ex-wife to track the box whenever it’s opened.  Dingo interrogates the man about whether he opened the box. “Four hours ago,” the man replies. Cue the ex-wife Darby and her thugs. Dingo gets roughed up by the thugs until his newfound pet comes to his rescue. Darby makes her get-away with the box, which she needs to get her dowry back.

Dingo #1All in all, Dingo is a pretty interesting book. There’s a lot going on and Michael Alan Nelson (Zombie Tales) seems to struggle at times with the story. The book doesn’t have a natural progression because of this, nor a completed thought. Dingo seems to have an immense back story that is only talked about in a passing phrase. The mystery of the box seems like it should be the focal point of the story but then the inclusion of the ex-wife changes the importance of the box. Cerberus also is a mystery. Why is he so big? Why did someone chain him to a gas station post and leave him way out in the desert? The first issue sets up a lot of interesting questions but doesn’t give any hint to the answers or clear direction as to which question is more important. The dog seems to be the most interesting part of the story yet it takes a back seat to the rest of the mysteries. Also, even Nelson acknowledges that Cerberus is not an original name for the dog and yet he kept it as the name for the dog, very disappointing. The character of Dingo is very likeable. He has the Indiana Jones way of getting hurt a lot in the process but always comes out on top. It works for the character and keeps him interesting.

Francesco Bigini’s (Dead Run) art has the consistent feel that all Boom! Studios books have: Lots of shadows and yet a sense of fine lines. The art works for the book but I wouldn’t say that it’s perfect by any means. Dingo is the only one consistent throughout the book. Cerberus looks amazing the first time on the page, but then becomes very cartoonish in the second half of the story. The supporting casts, especially the women, are ugly and again inconsistent. The assistant’s body and face change from one scene to the next, and the ex-wife Darby is just an ugly woman who looks young, then old and then demonic. Colorist Stephen Downer (Die Hard: Year One) gives the book a good warm feeling with his color pallet of orange hues. The color is what makes it feel like a Boom! title which is a good thing.

The book does not have a strong start, but it does have an interesting beginning. The mysteries that it sets up are intriguing enough to follow the story more, as long as Nelson reveals them at a steady pace. Even though the art isn’t perfect it still works for the book. Dingo and Cerberus are the stars of the story and are drawn the best accordingly. The issue, in a weird way, works to set up the mini-series and builds enough interest to read the next three.

Overall Score – 7.7/10

Please refrain from saying, “A dingo ate my baby” while reading this review. Follow Dustin on Twitter and post questions about the dingo that ate his baby on FormSpring.

 

Rating
7.7

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