Early Book Review: The Occultist Volume 1 by Tim Seeley and Mike Richardson

The Occultist Volume 1 by Tim Seeley and Mike Richardson is an adult graphic novel set for release on July 24 2012. This story surrounds on mild-mannered college student, Rob Bailey,  who spends more of his time studying and working that being young. His long time girl friend breaks up with him, then a strange book bonds itself to him and makes him the new wielder of the sword. This binding gives Rob great powers and he dubs himself the Occultist, but it also puts him at great risk. He is now the target for bounty hunters as others do anything they can to gain control over the book and the sword.

The Occultist, like many stories, had great potential. Some of the characters were good, such the shop owner and the police officer that helps Rob. However; Rob, his girlfriend, and his roommate or friend that briefly appears are either one-dimensional or annoying. The idea of being bound with a bind and gaining all sorts of abilities was not the problem, nor was the artwork that did a good job of displaying the fear and violence inherent in the story, but it fell flat. I am not sure what would make the book better, but I now that it could have been. Rob, and his faith pushing mother, were not characters that I could relate to or even like. I was much more interested in the unexplained mythology of the villains and bounty hunters than the welfare of the main characters.

The Occultist is not a graphic novel I would recommend, unless it is to look at the artwork. The artwork is good, but still could not save the story as far as I am concerned. There was potential, but it was simply not met in this case.