I had the good fortune of chatting with CW Cooke last month about his upcoming project, Solitary. A comic book about a man who was undeservedly sentenced to death row. The twist is that this man is also a superhero and when he’s put in
to the electric chair, everything changes for him. I received the first preview issue of this genre crossing story and thought I’d share my review with all of you.
The first thing that really sticks out about Solitary is the artwork. The first issue is mostly inside of the prison where it’s dimly lit and there’s some amazing shading and line work by Nando Souzamotta. He’s further helped out by the coloring team of Greg and Fake Petre. Each frame really stands out and the initial scene of our hero 
Tim Hill getting his head shaved before he’s escorted to the electric chair is incredibly powerful.
What follows is the story of the wrong man accused. We learn a little bit about the warden who hates his guts for killing a bunch of people, but we never learn the how. How did a superhero, of all people, end up on Death Row? This first issue does a fantastic job of laying the groundwork into what we’re coming to expect in the future.
My favorite part of the issue is a flashback scene between Tim and his Dad. It’s Tim’s birthday and they have a nice little exchange of banter and Tim gets a birthday present. It’s a cape that signifies his graduation from sidekick to superhero. It’s a fantastic scene that unfortunately gets interrupted by a blast of energy that stops the flashback.
There’s still a lot to find out in the story and I’m looking forward to seeing why Tim ended up on Death Row and where things end up. Whats very interesting is that whatever powers Tim has, we don’t quite know them yet, he does have the ability to not die from electrocution. His bout in the electric chair was temporary and the warden is going to make it his duty to find out what will actually kill him.
I’d give Solitary a solid 9 outta ten. I enjoyed the unique artwork, the story is familiar yet different enough to keep me interested. I have to thank CW Cooke for sharing it with me and as we get more news on further issues, we’ll be sure to share them with you here at DFAT!
Solitary is written and created by CW Cooke. Amazing artwork done by Nando Souzamotta and coloring work by Greg and Fake Petre. The book is getting put out by Devil’s Due Entertainment soon.
~Chaz
