Craig Reade

Well, I have touted this series a great deal since I read the first issue many months back. I interviewed the series creator, Mario Gully, for Comixtreme. Since then, I have made no secret in reviews and in the weekly X-World newsletter that Ant is my favorite title to come out of the very young Arcana Studio. So why haven’t I done a column on it yet? I couldn’t tell you- I don't really have a good reason. Probably a good time to correct that problem!

Ant is unlike any “superhero” genre comic you have ever read. The very fact that you can come up with a creative twist on a storied genre like this one speaks volumes for the originality of the series. Instead of your standard “hero vs. villain” concept, you have the life of one troubled young girl, and alongside the story of her life in the comic, you find the story that she has written in her journal that helps her cope with the stress of her life. That story is Ant – and it is “the greatest story ever told.” At least, to some of those who have read it.

Cast of Characters

Hanna is a young girl just entering the fourth grade, who comes from something of a broken home. She is highly imaginative, and often delves into the stories in her journal to escape the hardships of her life. Unfortunately, sometimes it is her journal that makes life harder for her. In her journal, she writes the story of who she will become when she is older – the super-heroine Ant. Even though she keeps this story a secret, it tends to get out from time to time just what she is writing about. Adults feel that she is troubled and might need counseling, and other kids torment her about it, and call her “Bug Girl,” both behind her back and to her face.

But Hanna believes in her vision of Ant, and uses the story to escape the pain of her life. The story itself is very elaborate – when she is older, she sees herself developing a formula that would alter her cellular structure to mimic the exoskeleton of an Ant. As a byproduct, when the exoskeleton is active, she also shares the same abilities an ant has – strength, sticking to walls, the works. She can also use her antennae to block bullets, and often uses actual ants as a part of her arsenal. The suit does have its limits, though, as it is powered by her own blood-sugar. When her energy gets low, the suit crumbles. At least, until she can recharge herself.

Daniel Washington, Hanna’s father, is an ex-convict who is trying to turn his life around so his daughter can grow up in as stable of a household as possible. He was working as a construction worker, but one night, he approached his boss, Paul Hugo, about a promotion. Hugo agreed to move him up to accounting, but later that evening, Hugo was killed, and the blame was laid at the feet of Danny.

Betty, Hanna’s mother, was a stripper when she was with Danny, and continues to be one to this day. Danny left Betty when Hanna was young, since she wouldn’t stop dancing, and she eventually started dating Ryan Hugo, the son of the man Danny is accused of killing. Because of the embezzlement scandal that Danny was involved in before, she does not believe that he is innocent this time around. However, based on the events in the latest issue, there may be some doubt creeping in her mind.

Officer Inez took Hanna to school the day that her father was arrested, and continues to be involved with the Hugo case. Though most of the department believes that he is guilty, she is the one dissenting voice – the only one in the department who thinks that there is more going on than meets the eye.

Thoughts

As a first comic outing for Mario Gully, I have to say that I am impressed. The story in Ant has many levels to it, and he has an extremely imaginative concept here.

The main story in Ant really is about Danny, and not Hanna. Danny has been set up as a murderer, and it is that mystery that really drives the story. But Hanna has her role to play as well. Her part of the story mostly deals with her reactions to what she sees going on around her, and how that manifests itself in the story she tells in her journal. The troubles in her life are translated on paper into the Ant story, and the harder things get for her, the tougher things get for Ant. Even if the story, so far, isn’t really about her, the emotional roller-coaster she is going through in reaction to the actual story adds a degree of depth that makes Danny’s story all the more meaningful. I don’t know if this is what Gully had planned for this series, but it works nonetheless.

Gully also handles the art duties for this series. I don’t have much of an eye for “style,” but his work is effective for the story. There is a degree of provocative posing with the women (and the very nude adult Hanna in her Ant costume), but it is not thrown in your face so much to be off putting. More importantly, it isn’t used to make up for a weak story, so it isn’t something I would be too critical of. The characters are very distinct – you will never have any trouble knowing who is who on a panel, and they are also quite memorable. One look at Hanna’s “nemesis” from school, Carrie Wolff, and you will never forget who she is again. Gully effectively tells the story through his art, and that is the most important thing to me.

My biggest question is – what is next for Ant, after this arc comes to a close? After reading the first issue, I really felt like I wanted an Ant story with Hanna grown up. Maybe I was looking for more of a Spider-Man-type hero story? I have to say that my thoughts have changed over the next couple issues. I no longer want a traditional hero story out of this – Ant is much more effective as a fantasy. Though I do enjoy the interludes into Hanna’s imagination, Ant is not the main draw of this title, it is the very real story that Gully is telling that is the most interesting. The Ant story only serves to enhance that. Assuming Danny is eventually vindicated, I am curious to see what other life experiences Hanna will pay witness to, to be inspired to write in her journal. What is Ant like when she is happy? Mildly upset? What does she write about when she is mad at her father for punishing her? There are many directions Gully could go here, and I am curious to see what else he can come up with.

Bottom Line

Ant is really nothing at all like I expected it would be. If you look at the covers, you find a very shapely hero in a skin tight, red, ant suit, and expect your typical fan-boy drool fest. And even though that isn’t what you get with Ant, the covers are still appropriate, and I kind of like that this series defies convention like that. It is possible and sometimes appropriate to have a cover like this when the sex-appeal of a comic is not it’s number one drawing point, believe it or not.

Ant is a title that can make you think, and I appreciate that all the more. The very fact that my expectations for this story have grown with each issue I have read impresses me. How many titles can you like for one reason after the first issue, and like for a completely different reason two more issues down the line? That says something pretty positive about Ant, in my humble opinion. I think you will find that you enjoy this title just as much as I have if you give it a shot.

In addition to the Arcana Studio Presents issue released on Free Comic Book Day (if you want a free taste of Ant, and you can find one!), Ant #3 was just released recently, and could still be on the shelf at your local comic shop. It is available through Diamond, so your shop should have no trouble ordering an issue.

Credit Where Credit is Due
Ant is
Written, drawn, and inked by Mario Gully, with
Letters by Sean O’Reilly,
Script Assists by Tina Gully,
Colors by Arcana Studio – Stefani Renee, and
Published by Arcana Studio.