Headlines about billionaires engaged in sex trafficking and rampant abuse of underage girls make a comics series feel all too uncomfortably real. Case in point: IDW Publishing’s current Amber Blake series, written by Jade Lagardere and drawn by Butch Guice, with inking, coloring and lettering assistance by Mike Perkins, Christa Miesner, Robbie Robbins and Dan Brown.
Only a toddler, Amber’s left on a bleak orphanage’s doorstep. Several years later, she and bestie Amanda are given the chance to live in one of billionaire Arnav Aslam’s Cleverland institutions: Opulent, state of the art living and educational campuses located around the world and intended to gather together gifted youngsters in order to cultivate the next generation of leaders in the arts, sciences, business, government and technology. But even in Cleverland hallowed halls, Amber and Amanda are forced to endure the evil headmaster’s abuse, and after graduation, Amber vows to get her revenge. Three issues in, Amber Blake finds herself enlisted as an agent of a secret paramilitary/espionage organization, which she embraces in order to track the elusive headmaster, only to discover that she’s being used and that the head of the organization is none other than her presumed benefactor, Arnav Aslam, whose billions can buy more than power.
Amber Blake is another in an expanding number of magazine-sized comics series, blending some taut action sequences with a bit of suspense, a dash of romance and an overall thought provoking storyline that feels, in part, ripped right form current headlines (though obviously it was written months and months ago). Amber herself is determined and capable, tough but vulnerable, and definitely not a superhero, which is refreshing. I’m looking for to the next issues. Check it out.
Leave a Reply