Slam! #1

Writer: Pamela Ribon Artist: Veronica Fish Publisher: Boom! Studios Release Date: November 16, 2016 Cover Price: $3.99 Critic Reviews: 15 User Reviews: 5
7.8Critic Rating
7.3User Rating

Television Without Pity's Pamela Ribon (Rick and Morty) and artist Veronica Fish (Archie) dive into the fast-paced, hard-hitting world of roller derby!
Jennifer Chu and Maise Huff (aka Knockout and Ithinka Can on the track) have been best friends since their first day of Fresh Meat Orientation for the Eastside Roller Girls, but when they get drafted for two different teams they'll have to figure out if the bond between them is stronger than the pull of a team when a win is on the line.
You get slammed on the track and slammed in life, and in both cases you have to take your hits and get back up again!

  • 9.5
    CourtOfNerds - Benjamin Raven Dec 2, 2016

    Veronica Fish brings the electricity while Pamela Ribon crafts characters so relatable that it makes this book stick with you for a bit. The art, the writing, the story, the characters ... it's all here. What else do you need in a comic book?  Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Outright Geekery - Scott Macdonald Nov 25, 2016

    Slam! #1 is a strong start to a fresh new series that I highly recommend. I had no idea what to expect when I offered to review this book but was excited at my first glance at the cover. Every panel's art and story lived up to the promise emblazoned there. I am excited for where this book is heading. There may be a hint or two on the first panel; Skate Fast, Skate Hard, Turn Left. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Newsarama - C.K. Stewart Nov 15, 2016

    Slam! #1 is a visually beautiful book with a strong premise and a great deal of promise, and even if you're only familiar with derby in passing, it's absolutely worth checking out the first issue tomorrow. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Doom Rocket - Molly Jane Kremer Nov 16, 2016

    Slam is a comic about making both life changes and new friends, and literally kicking some ass while doing so. And while it's mostly-female credits (excellent letterer Jim Campbell is the only dude in the credits, including editorial) are a joy to see, above all, this is just a fun damn comic book, full of vitality and optimism, successfully avoiding any whiffs of sentimentality. An assured and joyous debut. Read Full Review

  • 8.3
    Geeked Out Nation - Jess Camacho Nov 16, 2016

    “Slam” is off to a great start with a creative team that works very well together. This roller derby drama has the tenacity to go the distance and I can't wait to see what happens next. Read Full Review

  • 8.2
    Graphic Policy - Ashley Leckwold Nov 18, 2016

    While roller derby is its own world, Slam! #1 gives a glimpse into how that world can have positive effects on the people in it. Following the journey of Maisie and Jen as they first start out and heading into their new lives on teams is absolutely joyful and should absolutely set precedent for how womens sports comics handle competition and friendships. Of course, now that Jen and Maisie are no longer on the same team, how will they handle flying on their own? Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    ComicWow!TV - Huck Talwar Nov 15, 2016

    For Roller Derby members or fans, you're going to love this series. Readers who aren't too familiar with the sport are going to benefit reading this issue as somewhat of an introduction to the world of Roller Derby. This sport breeds close relationships, and this series takes us through one of the closest there can be. This is going to be an interesting story to follow, so head over to your local comic book shop (comicshoplocator.com) tomorrow to pick up a copy! Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Nerdophiles - Sam Wildman Nov 23, 2016

    Pamela Ribbon does a really great job of giving us a lot of realistic little moments throughout this first issue. And Veronica Fish does a fantastic job with the artwork in this book. It's a great team of awesome ladies writing about some other awesome ladies. It may not be as exciting as books about superheroes or superpowers or zombies but it's real and it's got a lot of really exciting potential. I'm really looking forward to the next issue! Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    All-Comic - Jessica Petrecz Nov 17, 2016

    Just a friendly reminder, this is another awesome comic about kick-ass women created by some kick-ass women. It is so nice to see the uptick is great comics that just happen to be centered on women that also happen to be written and drawn by women. Aside from wanting to support female creative teams, comic lovers will enjoy this story because this book has a lot of charisma that cannot be ignored. Even looking at the cover, which is a close up of Jennifer in full derby gear, all bloody after an apparent derby match, this book is hard to pass over on a shelf full of comic books. The girl power message throughout this first issue is a subtle one, but the clear message from this first issue is there are plenty more good stories to come from this derby rink. Read Full Review

  • 7.8
    BGCP - Liam Pollock Nov 16, 2016

    Slam is great, I'm not even gonna try to hide how much I love this series so far. It has everything you could need in a comic: humour, action, emotion, relatable characters. It has started off strong and while its Roller Derby setting might hinder how far it can go as a series it is such a different setting that is more than welcome. Read Full Review

  • 7.8
    IGN - Jesse Schedeen Nov 17, 2016

    The newest BOOM Box series is basically a love letter to the world of women's roller derby, so fans of the sport or the movie Whip It will feel right at home here. Read Full Review

  • 7.5
    Capeless Crusader - Jeremy Radick Nov 16, 2016

    Slam! #1 shows a lot of promise. Though it's not without a couple minor flaws, the joy it exhibits, its winning characters, and its focus on one of the few sports dominated and defined by women, makes its sense of fun infectious. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Comicosity - Emma Houxbois Nov 16, 2016

    Slam!s debut issue is like a brand new pair of rollerskates: too polished and squeaky clean to be marked for greatness yet, but possessed of all the nuts and bolts needed for future glory. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    ComiConverse - Darryll Robson Nov 15, 2016

    Over recent years Roller Derby has become an extremely popular sport. Theres probable not a major city in America or the UK that doesnt have a Roller Derby team. Anyone who has been to see a live game will have noticed the intensity; not just of the game but also of the relationships between skaters, between teams and between supporters. The Derby world is one massive family with a full contact sport thrown into the middle. Read Full Review

  • 4.0
    Comic Bastards - Dustin Cabeal Nov 16, 2016

    If the goal of this issue was to be inventive and highlight the fun parts of roller derby, then it failed. I can see the effort. I can see it trying, but in the end, it didn't work. I wasn't left wanting more or understanding what more of this story would look like. Two cats fight and it's left for us to assume that these two friends will also fight. The story isn't subtle and really I still have a hard time calling it a story because it was too focused on the derby element rather than the characters and their journey. If I want derby, I'll go watch derby. I don't need to read a comic about it. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    supercoolyeah Jan 16, 2017

    Wow very unique set up! I loved how the story flowed Ribon knows how to progress things uniquely. And the art of Fish and Peer is delicious.

  • 8.5
    clevelandspur Nov 17, 2016

    Really stoked for this series. Never read anything like it. I thought the first book did a great job of introducing the characters and the world of roller derby. Looking forward to seeing how things progress in issue 2

  • 3.0
    Kylemacca Jul 19, 2017

    As a fan of sports comics and a roller derby skater myself, I was still apprensive about this comic- the covers made me think it was not going to be taken seriously, and would get stuck in "explanation" instead of story, and stereotypical cat-fighting. But after seeing this at my local store week after week before heading to practice, I finally buckled down and bought it.
    ....I don't know if I can even say I'm disappointed as it had all my expectations. Considering the amount of time spent on off skate interaction, i still don't feel a shred of interest in ANY of these characters.
    This isn't a story about roller derby- it's a half-forgotten story a friend of a friend who knew someone who played roller derby for a month is trying more

  • 9.0
    Seren Jan 17, 2017

  • 7.0
    DXO Nov 20, 2016

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