The debut issue of Jimmy Broxton's Fully Loaded is an absolute tour de force. Rarely does a comic accomplish that rare feat of feeling so singularly cinematic. The cover tagline reads “It’s 2065. Carson Blake is 100 years, and he’s tired of asking nicely.”
It is hard not to imagine this opening statement of intent gruffly bellowed by a 1980’s movie trailer voiceover artist. Like an adrenaline fuelled base jumper the reader is unceremoniously plunged into a future version of our world that is instantly not our own and yet is all too familiar to discerning cinephiles of all ages.
Do not for an instant consider this familiarity to be a criticism, quite the opposite, to some this will feel like a welcome journey home. Fully Loaded could have fallen foul of its lofty ambitions within the first few pages, but in Jimmy Broxton’s capable hands that is simply not the case. Prepare for fond memories of Blade Runner, Akira and Black Rain to wash over you.
Visually it is almost impossible to find fault with a single panel in this first issue. Every camera angle is carefully considered, every background a feast for the eyes and every line of dialogue surely any actor’s dream.
The storyline is slight, and that is fine, because it opens the curtains to this wonderful world. Through his narration Broxton’s hero Carson Blake (or is he one wonders) introduces us to the urban future of 2065 as it still recovers from a global catastrophe some forty years earlier in 2025 (gulp).
HOW this future came to pass is covered with aplomb over a series of striking double page spreads. As for the WHY, enough clues are deftly dropped over these pages to suggest a hidden conspiracy for future storylines.
The first arc begins with Blake being pulled back into a life he thought he had left behind him. It would seem he needs to atone for some of the mistakes of his past and reconnect with those he may have wrongly turned his back on as a younger man.
If this all sounds a little like a sci-fi noir gumshoe Raymond Chandleresque yarn it’s because is and it is perfectly handled. Do not be fooled, however, beyond some eye wateringly beautiful rain-soaked cityscapes, issue one also provides an action sequence any Hollywood director should study and look upon with envious eyes. 
Visually other subtle clues to Broxton’s film knowledge abound from True Romance to the 1980’s classic TV series Knight Rider. Broxton skilfully delivers his script with a light touch, telling us just enough without ever overwhelming his remarkable art.
It is a challenge not to sound too gushing because this is almost a perfect comic book. If a criticism must be made it is this:
Imagine if you will you are viewing the first fifteen minutes of a film you may have been looking forward to for a year or more, and then the screen goes blank just as you demand more. It is a little frustrating, but in a good way. Fully Loaded ends not with a whimper, and not on a cliffhanger, but with the deliberate promise of so much more to come.
Fans of great comics should wish Jimmy Broxton and his partners at Scratch Comics the greatest of success with Fully Loaded. Based on this opening salvo, however, that should not be a problem.
Ten out of Ten.