When professional boxer Kameron Kash, NFL player Broderick McFadden, soccer star Mike Lion and singer/entertainer Marley White get signed to exclusive contracts…they start to make dollars, but not a whole lot of sense!

I have to admit this is not the kind of comic-book that I typically buy. I’m more of a superhero and sci-fi fan myself, and this title doesn’t have a single super-powered individual or alien to be found. But after reading a couple of rave reviews about this issue I decided to check it out for myself.

Former NFL player Phillip Buchanon created this title, and the publisher Canon Comics (get it?), and enlisted an impressive creative team to bring his vision to life. Writer Hannibal Tabu and artist N. Steven Harris. This series tells the story of four young men from different backgrounds who have all recently become celebrities in the world of sports or music and shows how they deal with the sudden pressures of fame and wealth. I guess this is something Buchanon has personally dealt with and is drawing on his own experiences or those of his friends.

“KASH AND BURN”

We’re quickly introduced to our protagonists: Kameron Kash (just known as “Kash”), the brash boxing champion, Broderick the rookie pro-football player, Marley the White R&B singer engaged to a famous actress, and Mike the soccer (that’s what we call “football” here in America) star from England who recently moved to L.A. and is dating a pop singer. The four men became friends a year ago after a scandalous incident at an awards show (the exact details are unclear at the time, but it appears to involve a dead girl). At the moment they share an agent who is trying to broker a deal to get them a reality TV show together. During a party celebrating the launch of a the show, a new scandal erupts for one of the guys which threatens to bring them all down before they even get started. And that’s where their agent, Al DeFazio (who may not be the most upright citizen himself…) comes in to try to salvage their reputations before it’s too late.

A surprisingly good issue, I enjoyed it more than I expected. Tabu does a good job with the characterization and dialog and Harris’ art is crisp and clean. This feels like the first episode of a TV show (any studios reading this?) and it’s caught my interest enough to want to read more. Just a very good job all around. Chacebook rating: 5 STARS

Buy it NOW (for just .99 cents) on Comixology!