Writer: Mikel MilesIllustration: Digitkame
Art: Sukma Agustriyana
Character Design: Joe Sketch adn Deo Keo (Mazu)
Editors: Lavender Khan, Mirror and Skedaddle
Download: PayHip
Facebook: HerImpactSeries
Twitter: @HerImpact
We get lots of independent comics but it's rare that we get an independent manga. Her Impact, is a manga centering around Sadie Hiroshi. She's half Japanese, and half African American. She's also a single mother currently struggling with her profession. Sadie is also tasked with carrying on her father's legacy as a great boxer. She's skillfully managed to balance these things so far. However, the ultimate question is what Sadie's ultimate impact will be in the world of boxing.
The story starts off slow and simple getting us adjusted to Sadie's life and introducing us to some characters that frequent her life. The most important is her son Aiden who has a love for manga. Sadie is a lawyer with no intentions to start boxing in the beginning. We also get to meat Sadie's boss who is eating anytime he isn't yelling at employees. He also has a habit that requires him to use dozens of tissues. Sadie stops to get some manga for her son after work and insists on purchasing clean versions of the manga but they aren't all available. On the way home she has a chance encounter with a young man who may change her life and pull her into the world of boxing.
Admittedly I'm not always a big fan of sports manga. But, boxing is something I love, including boxing manga. The story seems like it could be an interesting rise of Sadie's name in the world of boxing. It stands out because we don't usually see the main character having a family before the events of the manga starts so that's going to be a major twist. It'll be important to see how Aiden handles his mother being a boxer.
The one downside I have to mention is it can be a little wordy at times. When starting the story it's important to give as much background as possible. There's just small things I feel like could have been skipped. I didn't really understand the need to flashback to Sadie's job interview. We probably could have saved the flashback of her father's match until later, it just seems like an odd way to start a story about Sadie. Then again if the series takes more of a personal diary style it makes perfect sense and I'm just nitpicking.
Not much can be said for the artwork other than, damn. I meant that in the best way possible. The artwork and character designs are just on point. It's crisp, clean and consistent. Backgrounds are highly detailed which is rare for most manga. Expressions on character faces are detailed adn no two smiles are alike. Additionally movement is drawn exceptionally well and gives you an idea of the amount of power behind these punches. Hopefully we see some full fights in the future. With the level of detail demonstrated here a full fight would be nothing less than incredible to view.
Something I found really cool, the manga Sadie wanted for her son Aiden were all independent manga, some of which I've read, like Apple Black and Samurai Shin. That was a cool little shout out. Issue #0 was just prequel to get us all introduced to the world. I'm curious to see what happens when the story really takes off after issue #1 in 2018.
You should buy Darrell's Book, watch him on the Blerds Online YouTube Channel or The CP Time and Powerbomb Jutsu podcasts.
