Sherman's Pit

In 2005, Private Sherman has found 

himself assigned to a sensitive 

position at the idf command bunker known as “The Pit”. However, Sherman has reported nothing to his superiors about his mental condition - that he could not remember the four months prior to his arrival at the pit, or that he began to hear voices no one else could. He has found that the pit was home to many types of soldiers; From clueless tech support, drained old-timers, scheming secretaries to escape-seeking captains, Sherman was proven he may not be the only madman in the pit. But can he conceal his secret for 

long? And could Sherman’s hallucinations prove to be real?

Overall, I found myself pleasantly surprised at the quality of this first issue. Very quickly it establishes the main character, the setting and the beginning of the journey our character Sherman finds himself on. 

With that said, and without giving anything away, I would have liked one or two specifics as to what caused this chain of events to be set in motion. Taking in to account that the purpose of this story is for us to find out with the main character, what has previously occured and what to expect moving forward. 

Contrary to that, the setting for the story is unlike anything I've seen and yet, the dialogue and scenarios allow for it to still remain relatable. Having it take place in an Israeli military camp, I felt very informed of how it loosely operates thanks to the well placed prompts featured throughout the issue, which contains terminology that may be lost on the average reader.

The artwork for this issue offers a surprisingly interesting tone for the book. The black and white finish implies a gritty and sombre them, yet it's balanced with soft drawn characters of all shapes and varieties, giving it a more animated and imaginative pallet. This unique approach creates a refreshing take on story telling and is a welcoming change to the traditional art often seen in comic books.

I also credit Guy for the overall layout of the book. The strategic positioning of the panels makes for a pleasant read and is easy to follow. I particularly admire how the creator has the precision to not only organise the speech boxes, but the additional boxes that cover some of the military terms used in the book, and it's done without hindering the dialogue or scenery.

The pacing of the first issue is as good as it can be. It sets up our main character, establishes the conflict and the book ends on a typical issue one mini-cliffhanger. Like any good story, it left me wanting more. I found myself questioning what will become of Sherman. Where will his journey take him? How will he resolve his conflict? How will his potential actions affect the characters around him? 

Although I find it difficult to determine what genre to place this book in, I am curious to see how events will unfold as the story progresses. Typically speaking, I'm not a fan of the modern day war setting, purely as a preference. However, to those that do enjoy it, are very likely to enjoy this book. In fairness, this book should not be scrutinised for any sort of historical accuracy as it's not a straight forward war-based story. There are specific fantasy/supernatural elements in this book that are necessary for the plot.

I'd like to conclude by saying that I found this to be an eye-opening and refreshing tale of a young man on a journey. Who's quest for truth is both interesting and appealing. Guy Fogel has managed to write a story that appeals to not only comic book readers, but to service men and women who may find that this book will resonate with them on a deep and grounded level. This book has the potential to open up a new target audience to those with a military background, particularly those in Israel.

Looking forward to see what Sherman will face in issue two.

Rating: 4/5

For more information on Sherman's Pit creator, Guy Fogel, follow the links below.