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Fraction
When four friends break into a storage unit containing a fully operational, high-powered battle suit, they split the gear among them, but their newfound powers drive their group apart.
- GenresComicsGraphic Novels
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 11, 2011
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 30, 2021
Fun concept; "What happens when four petty criminals find a super-powered suit of armor.". I really love the angle that DC Focus attempted, a fusion of "indie" comics and corporate superheroes. It never quite gels but it's fun.
August 30, 2023
The introduction by the author describes the main characters here as "four ordinary guys". Now dont get me wrong I'm a massive degenerate but I don't get into routine fist fights with my best friends, go to jail or rob and pawn for a living. And that's all stuff that happened before they found the suit. I sorta liked these characters but they weren't as convincing as they were made out to be. In spite of the recounting of their names on every other page in the narration I also had some difficulty remembering who's who. Maybe it would have worked better with just three of them or if the pacing allowed a little more time to develop each character individually rather than just: "this is Mike this is Trent this is Pete this is the other guy... four bros!!"
That sounds a little critical as I was enjoying this for the most part and was going for a solid three stars. The best thing about this comic for me was how it reads as a loveletter to Philly. I've never been there myself and am not an American but this seemed to be the most genuine characterisation. There was a lot of fun here even if a little silly and the artwork was not bad by any means.
Where this really fell apart and particularly in the last issue was that it didn't make any sense. Why did a certain someone die? How was that the deus ex machina needed here? Maybe I missed something but it all happened very quickly. Why can't the guys who made the suit just go round their houses and blow their brains out? One of the bad guys blew some guys brains out just for seeing the suit dammit. How is this high tech suit which parts can be controlled remotely from some distance not connected online to its creators? There's always gonna be some holes in a fun read such as this one but I could go on forever here. So two stars because fun.
That sounds a little critical as I was enjoying this for the most part and was going for a solid three stars. The best thing about this comic for me was how it reads as a loveletter to Philly. I've never been there myself and am not an American but this seemed to be the most genuine characterisation. There was a lot of fun here even if a little silly and the artwork was not bad by any means.
Where this really fell apart and particularly in the last issue was that it didn't make any sense. Why did a certain someone die? How was that the deus ex machina needed here? Maybe I missed something but it all happened very quickly. Why can't the guys who made the suit just go round their houses and blow their brains out? One of the bad guys blew some guys brains out just for seeing the suit dammit. How is this high tech suit which parts can be controlled remotely from some distance not connected online to its creators? There's always gonna be some holes in a fun read such as this one but I could go on forever here. So two stars because fun.
March 19, 2020
The concept is pretty unoriginal and full of the standard cliches, but is a decent read if you do not look too deep. Where it really falls apart is the last 10-12 pages where new things are thrown into the story and left completely unresolved. It is like they never happened and the story ends.
The real weakness of the story is corporation behind the suit if armor. Why was there a suit from a Dallas company in an unprotected locker in Philly? Why was there no security (they cut the power; seriously? my bottom of the line home system has a battery back up)? Why did said company hire outside ‘kill all witnesses’ contractor to find suit? Why did he have a suit too? How come you can track and monitor his suit but not stolen one? I could go on.
I thought the art was ok.
The real weakness of the story is corporation behind the suit if armor. Why was there a suit from a Dallas company in an unprotected locker in Philly? Why was there no security (they cut the power; seriously? my bottom of the line home system has a battery back up)? Why did said company hire outside ‘kill all witnesses’ contractor to find suit? Why did he have a suit too? How come you can track and monitor his suit but not stolen one? I could go on.
I thought the art was ok.
June 19, 2011
4 high school friends reunite after their friend, Ford, gets out of jail. Seems like they haven't learned anything in the time they've been apart, and soon they're back to their former hijinks - robbing storage units. This time, however, they hit some serious paydirt and find some kind of high-tech suit/body armor. They end up splitting it between them (because, as the author points out several times, they don't trust one another enough for any ONE of them to keep it). They use the suit's components/powers for various goods and evils. This brings them to the attention of both the law and the suit's owner (a corporate entity). Although they manage (this time) to squeak out of trouble (Mike doesn't make it), they've made some enemies (who are likely to be more developed/reappear in subsequent issues).
Not wild about the artwork or the characters (none of them are particularly redeeming) in this one.
Not wild about the artwork or the characters (none of them are particularly redeeming) in this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2013
I read this while in the throes of a projectile vomiting bug, and it did nothing to lighten my mood.
The jerks in this book are a 'good bunch of working class lads' like what'd be the 'cool kids' at high school, or something, according to the introduction. They're just assholes, though, with thin personalities and skew-wiff bodily proportions.
Oh, the art. Flimsy, uncharismatic linework utterly saved by the colouring. All the women look exactly the same, except one (who is also the only interesting character), all the men look the same but for different shitty haircuts and clothes, and everything generally looks like an awful Dustin Nguyen/Travis Charest, and sort of 'not ready for primetime'.
The story is: some jerks do a thing and there's people being dicks and then not enough of them die and then it gets cancelled.
Yawwwwwn.
The jerks in this book are a 'good bunch of working class lads' like what'd be the 'cool kids' at high school, or something, according to the introduction. They're just assholes, though, with thin personalities and skew-wiff bodily proportions.
Oh, the art. Flimsy, uncharismatic linework utterly saved by the colouring. All the women look exactly the same, except one (who is also the only interesting character), all the men look the same but for different shitty haircuts and clothes, and everything generally looks like an awful Dustin Nguyen/Travis Charest, and sort of 'not ready for primetime'.
The story is: some jerks do a thing and there's people being dicks and then not enough of them die and then it gets cancelled.
Yawwwwwn.
March 31, 2011
Picked this one up based on the artwork. The story seemed like it might be good, but it devolved into incomplete sentences and trite, worn-out plot devices. But hey, the art is alright.
December 11, 2011
What happens when four petty criminals find a super-powered suit of armor.
August 13, 2013
A for originality, C- for execution. I needed at least one likable character in this story. There wasn't one.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews