Review: ELLA UPGRADED No.1

"There ain't not no comics for kids these days" or words to that effect, is the mantra we often hear but it's not entirely true. There are less comics for children around than there were 30 years ago or more, but they still exist. 

One new title is Ella Upgraded, a full colour 28 page British independent comic written by Dan Whitehead, with art by P.R. Dedelis, colours by Abby Bulmer, and lettering by Jim Campbell. (You may recognise Abby and Jim's names from their contributions to 2000AD.) It tells the story of how 11 year-old Ella is in a terrible accident and her genius brother not only saves her life but enhances it, by putting a GameBox console in her brain! Ella then finds that by loading different games into her system she can take on the attributes of the characters.

It's a little bit Bionic Woman mixed with Dial H for Hero, but definitely has its own unique identity. Dan Whitehead's writing carries the story along well, and Ella and her brother Josh are likeable characters. The artwork and colouring is fresh and modern and looks top rate. My only criticism is that it ends on a cliffhanger. I'm of the opinion that if a comic is going to be published infrequently it's better to have each issue self-contained, or at least tie up the main plot even if other sub-plots are left hanging. But that's just me, and it didn't spoil my enjoyment of this first visit to Ella's world, which establishes the characters well and has a lot going on.

Ella Upgraded No.1 is available to buy from this link:
https://gumroad.com/l/ellaupgraded

Give it a try! It's good comics.