Firebreather Vol. 1

Written by Phil Hester
Art by Andy Kuhn

I picked up and enjoyed the second Firebreather series, at least until it went on its unexplained hiatus, but had never read the beginning of the series until I found a copy of this trade. 

Hester and Kuhn were doing some very interesting work with this book.  Duncan is the son of a human woman and Belloc, a gigantic dragon who lives in a UN-protected preserve in the American mid-west.  Duncan has been raised by his mother, while his father has visitation rights every second week-end.

Duncan has grown up ostracized for his strange appearance and his temper.  He's very strong, can breathe fire, and when he's angry, he loses control of himself.  When this book opens, Duncan is starting his fifth high school in three years.  Predictably, he's the object of much attention, and most of his attempts to make friends are fruitless.  He does meet Jenna, however, a peer counselor who works to befriend him.  While he is beginning to develop a normal life, his father manipulates things in the background, working to turn Duncan into the type of man he wants him to be.

This book is not as good as the later issues, although that's because Hester has a lot of stuff to establish in just four issues.  Kuhn's work is less polished than his more recent art, but this is still a very good comic.  I wish it would continue publication.