St. Mercy #1
- WRITER
- John Zuur Platten
- Artist
- Atilio Rojo
- Letterer
- Atilio Rojo
- Cover Artist
- Atilio Rojo
- Publisher
- Top Cow Productions, Image Comics
- Price
- 3.99
- Release Date
- 2021-08-25
- Colorist
- Atilio Rojo
While John Zuur Platten is best known for writing video games like Jurassic World Evolution and The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, his writing skills translate into the comic medium flawlessly. Platten teamed up with artist Atilio Rojo to create St. Mercy. Its debut issue is due to be released on Aug. 25 from Image Comics and Top Cow Productions. Co-created by Platten and Rojo, St. Mercy #1 seamlessly blends the aesthetics of the Incan Empire with the wild west of late 1800s America to tell a uniquely engaging story.
St. Mercy #1 is narrated by Toctollissica, a young Incan woman struggling to put on weight to prepare to be sacrificed to Supay. The story bounces back and forth between Toctollissica's experiences and the life of her descendant Mercedes Oro, set 500 years in the future in the year 1871. Mercy lives with her father and preaches at the church in their small Arizona town. Some of her neighbors discriminate against her for her Latin American heritage, while others care about her. Yet, when a gang of outlaws comes to town, everything changes for Mercy.
Platten's decision to narrate the comic from the perspective of a character in the past adds a haunting and almost fatalistic tone to the narrative. Her view of Mercy's life is eerie, especially when combined with the contrasting religious overtones in both of the young women's stories. Platten does an excellent job of using the narration to establish a consistent atmosphere and to connect multiple storylines. By the end of the issue, it is clear that all of these characters, past and present, are connected, though how they are remains an intriguing mystery.
Rojo's art is equal parts pastoral and gritty. His vibrant, soft colors romanticize the long-lost eras of St. Mercy and it inspires a sense of nostalgia for these historical landscapes. But his depictions of action and the consequences of violence add a layer of grime and horror to the world. In this way, Rojo brings the wild west to life in a way that reads as both sensationalized and grounded. He delights in the scenes of violence, delivering fast-paced shoot-outs and remarkably tense standoffs to entertain with all the flair of an old spaghetti western.
Platten and Rojo's St. Mercy #1 has all the charm of a classic western, but with enough new ideas to keep the story from becoming predictable. Mercy and Toctollissica are refreshing alternatives to the typical macho western hero, and the ways in which their contrasting faiths collide with their intertwined fates establishes a compelling tension that's sure to give audiences plenty to ponder long after they've finished reading. While it contains a complex narrative structure, the issue functions excellently as an adventure story too.