Words: David Pepose
Art: Luca Casalanguida
Colors: Matt Milla
Letters: Carlos M. Mangual
Publisher: Aftershock
Scouting has always been a little weird to me. Even as a kid, I wondered what exactly all of this preparedness was going to be for. As a child of the suburbs, I wasn’t entirely convinced I would ever need to know how to tie a thousand types of knots or navigate through the woods with only my knowledge of woodcraft. Besides, all the made up words and loyalty rules seemed a little, you know, cult-y to me even at the time.
Scout’s Honor is definitely a book that both answers my questions about a world where scouting serves a real purpose looks like as well as pokes at that feeling of unease that comes from a bunch of identically-dressed teenagers training to survive the apocalypse. David Pepose’s story is not only one that manages to build a supremely engaging world (think Fallout meets Boy Scout Jamboree), but also one that feels lived in. We’re given precious little information about the world outside of what our characters know, but Pepose manages to absolute draw in readers with the details he does survive.
Pepose’s world is ably brought to life by illustrator Luca Casalanguida and colorist Matt Milla. Casalanguida’s art absolutely fits the post-apocalyptic aesthetic, with some excellent monster designs and some great background touches that make the world feel a little more real. A great deal of praise needs to go to Milla, though, because his colors strike a lovely balance between that post-apocalyptic washed-out feel and the vibrancy that helps sell the world as still being alive.
If there’s a complaint about the series, it’s that it is simply too short. Pepose packs in an almost Silver Age level of world-building and detail into a fairly slim page count, leaving a fair number of interesting hooks dangling as the story goes by at a breakneck pace. The ending itself feels as if things had to wrap up a little too soon, as well – a minor complaint. If the worst thing that can be said about the comic is that it leaves you wanting more, though, that’s not so bad.
Scout’s Honor is a book worth reading for anyone who is fascinated by post-apocalyptic sci-fi, the Scouting program, or who just loves a good story. This is one engaging world that definitely deserves another visit down the road.
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