America in the early 20th Century seemed like an innocent time. Of course with Scott Snyder writing about it, we all know that innocence won't last very long.
The Good
New comic series come and go all the time. It's easy to miss out on the good ones until word gets around. With Severed being written by Scott Snyder (and Scott Tuft), you know you'll want to be there from the beginning.
The story begins in the mid 1950s but the tease of a giant secret gives us a flashback to 1916. Life seemed simple for the 12-year-old main character, Jack Garron. We know something dark and horrible is going to happen but we have absolutely no idea what. That's the appeal of creator-owned series. It's no secret that I'm the biggest Scott Snyder writing Batman fan but with established characters, there's a limit as to what can happen. Batman can't be maimed or killed. With a comic like Severed, anything goes. Even the title suggests something brutal.
The art by Attila Futaki captures the time periods perfectly. Because this isn't a superhero comic, the art needs to convey that. It's clear that these are normal people, except for...well, I can't spoil the issue, can I? When we're in the 1916 time period, you get a feel for the simple and desolate locale Jack lives in. Other characters are introduced and we can only assume their stories will be severely clashing with Jack's in upcoming issues. The fact that the story centers around a 12-year-old that ran away from home only adds to the suspense and dangers that this series is bound to be full of.
The Bad
It's a first issue and that means characters and settings need to be set up. We know something dark is coming and obviously we can't expect to have all the secrets revealed from the beginning. Because of that, we can't have a full on hardcore horror/suspense story. But the seeds are definitely being planted for something in the next issue.
While I did like Futatki's art in the two time periods, the color in the 50s felt off to me for some reason. It almost seemed to clash with the 1950s background. It's a minor complaint as the colors in 1916 do give the art a more timely feel.
The Verdict
Creator-owned series allow writers to go wherever they want. We know from past works by Scott Snyder that he has no problems delving into dark territories. Severed is set to be a dark story that you know can't end well. Unfortunately the first issue isn't full of suspense. That is to be expected as the first issue of a new series has the duty to set up all the characters and settings. What there is here is a lot of potential. With the creation of a seemingly real and natural world, along with the young character and early time period, the idea of something dark lurking lies ready to spring out. I purposely went into reading this comic without knowing a single bit what it was about and that adds to the thrill. Too often these days, stories can get overly predictable. With Snyder on board (along with Scott Tuft), the only thing we can predict is some intense craziness in upcoming issues.