Young Liars #1

This issue was very much set up so it is a bit hard to tell if this book will actually land up living up to its promosing premise. Still, as far as scene-setting issues go, Young Liars #1 was pretty good. I do feel that it may land up being a bit too self-consciously quirky for its own good but the characters are well drawn enough and are potentially ripe for further exploration. The series also has a solid, "high-concept" premise that points towards it being one of the more character-centric of all the titles under the Vertigo label and significantly, for this type of story, it looks set to strike a strong balance between dark humour, moments of genuine sweetness and impending tragedy.

It's all a bit too early to tell though. Hopefully we'll land up with the latest classic series to come from Vertigo but there is still the potential for it to descend into the worst kind of self-indulgent hipster waffle.

There is little doubt about the quality of the artwork though. Lapham has a bold, clear but gritty style that, along with vibrant colours from Lee Loughridge, serves the story perfectly.