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Suspended Animation Classic #1,023 First published July 27, 2008 (#30) (Dates are approximate)
Elemental Fources
by Mark Allen
Four people, granted elemental powers, are formed to battle an ancient evil and protect a powerful metaphysical artifact called the Terminus Libre. Along with a group of scientists/alchemists (who also dabble in magic) called The Brotherhood, they seek to stave off the forces of evil on the eve of Apocalypse.
That’s the premise of a new series called Elemental Fources. And, while showing a bit of individuality, only time will tell whether or not this book garners any kind of following.
Unfortunately, Fources is not terribly original on it’s surface, which is not a good thing in today’s glut of four-color flash and little substance. Super team books are a dime a dozen and that makes it difficult from the get-go not to be derivative. That means that writer Crisman Strunk must work hard to make characterization shine in this book. He seems to be polishing.
Strunk manages to show the characters in action, as well as enjoying leisure time together, all in the first issue. In each case, there seem to be sincere efforts at deepening them. More work needs to be done to make them stand out, but a beginning can be seen. He also achieves an entertaining surprise by issue three, with help from co-plotter Erik Mullarky.
The villain of the story is fairly standard. A ruthless and frightening demon, but a bit too straightforward in his violence. If writers are going to use violence that approaches over-the-top status, there should be something unique about the antagonist. It’s always helpful to remember that popular heroes usually owe at least some of their success to their unusual villains.
The art of Fources has a “talented amateur” look about it. Figures are a bit stiff, but artists John Becaro and J.C. Grande manage to keep characters’ proportions consistent. They also give readers visually interesting villains.
Due to violent imagery and dark subject matter, Elemental Fources is not for children.
In Australia where the light is so much brighter and the distinction between water and air is more defined, I have experimented with long exposures to capture the nexus between the elements of water and air. These long exposures blur the surface of the water and the clouds in the sky, and the motion of water and air forms a link between these two disparate elements. In Scotland, the flatter and more subdued light means that this distinction is not as apparent and I have been exploring images taken at a more conventional shutter speed and using light rather than motion to form the link.