Scout's Honor #1 // Review
CONTENT WARNING: SEXUAL ASSAULT
Scout's Honor #1 is published by AfterShock Comics, written by David Pepose, drawn by Luca Casalanguida, colored by Matt Milla, and lettered by Carlos M. Mangual. Set 260 years after a devastating nuclear war, Scout's Honor #1 follows a Scout Ranger named Kit who hides a secret that could destroy their future: Kit is actually a girl.
In this post-apocalyptic world, crawling with irradiated wildlife and roving gangs called 'Highwaymen,' women and children stay at home, relegated to a second class existence. Only men can be Ranger Scouts, the heroes, the keepers of law and order. According to the laws written by Ranger Scouts founder Doctor Jefferson Hancock, "A scout is forged in brotherhood, beyond our sisters and wives." But unbeknownst to Scoutmaster Sheperd, Kit has infiltrated the Ranger Scouts, and at the start of Scout's Honor #1 is outperforming even the Scoutmaster's son, Dez.
Scout's Honor #1 uses references to religious iconography within the dialogue and the art, showing just how intense the Ranger Scout's devotion is to Doctor Jefferson Hancock and the order he created. The nuclear war's original survivors refer to the Ranger Scouts Survival Handbook as "the good book." But Pepose hints that beneath this carefully organized and rigid structure, there's something rotten at the core of the Ranger Scouts.
Doctor Jefferson Hancock's statue is shown holding two stone tablets with the Scout rules written on them, similar to how in the Bible, Moses transcribes the 10 commandments onto two stone tablets. Fitting because the Scoutmaster Sheperd refers to Jefferson as a prophet. He's revered as an almost religious figure. And the way Casalanguida places Scoutmaster Sheperd within the scene calls to mind a religious service with Sheperd standing alone, in front of the crowd, dressed in much more elaborate clothing than everyone else.
While we only see one other woman aside from Kit, she provides a look into the reality for women in the world of Scout's Honor. (This is where the content warning for sexual assault comes into play.) Kit rescues a woman from a man that is trying to sexually assault her at knifepoint. The woman wears a long red dress and white bonnet, ala The Handmaid's Tale. In just this short sequence, Casalanguida gives the reader a glimpse into life outside of the order of the Ranger Scouts.
Milla makes each panel look beautiful with smooth colors and the perfect balance between dark colors and light, depending on the scene. And the characters always stand out against the background, even during dark scenes or scenes with busy backgrounds.
Scout's Honor #1 features a lot of action and dialogue, and the key to balancing this all is Mangual's work on lettering. The speech bubbles don't overpower the art; instead, they flow with the action, naturally drawing the reader's eye through each panel.
With its intense action, underlying dark mystery, and beautiful art, Scout's Honor #1 is perfect for dystopian media fans.
