Xombi #5 – Review

By: John Rozum (writer), Frazer Irving (artist)

The Story: Riding on pterodactyls.  Golems with rocket packs.  Nuns and guns.  ‘Nuff said.

The Review: There’s been a lot of speculation, both dark and ecstatic, about the upcoming state of the DCU, post-Flashpoint.  Through it all, I’ve managed to keep my cool, encouraging cautious optimism whenever possible.  But one of the few things that threatens to break my veneer of objectivity is the thought that among the new lineup of titles coming this fall, Xombi will not be counted with them.

While it’s true I have a soft spot for David Kim, since we share a racial demographic, I really just appreciate that Rozum treats him as a person, not a cliché.  Even if you strip away David’s last name and distinctly Oriental (yup, I said it—I’m Asian so I can) appearance, his character remains just as sympathetic.  His good nature, decency, and affectionate manner are qualities we can all appreciate in a hero, and none of it has anything to do with his race.

You have to admire how the entire cast always shows fully-formed personalities well beyond their stereotypical appearances.  For example, your first instinct is to understand Nun of the Above’s distaste for magic as part of her religious devotion, so it’s all the more surprisingly impressive when she snaps, “I don’t agree with all church doctrine, but embracing the occult as Julian does only invites darkness.”  Bitter personal experience, not dogma, fuels her prejudice.

Speaking of bitter personal experience, we finally get to the meat of David’s hidden worries.  His existence as a Xombi makes it impossible to return to his former life, including the woman he believes he needs.  Rozum doesn’t turn the problem into a mere sob story though; he uses the immortal Captain Morgan and Annie Palmer to offer a counter point-of-view which somehow manages to convince you David’s attachments are as toxic and selfish as they are pitiable.

This is all a testament to Rozum’s craft, but equally commendable is his sheer imagination.  Though he often uses lists of evocative ideas (“The chamber of tangible music, the sand children, the alphabetical flower garden, the lake of knives…”) to create a nearly impressionistic sense of wonder, he also shows how fully capable he is of latching onto one of those ideas and fleshing it out into something wonderful.  Fantasy doesn’t get any better than a floating fortress made from the skull of a nephilim by “experts in architectural bone topiary.”

And you can always rest easy knowing that even with all these layers of detail and character bits, the plot never gets lost.  Few writers pay attention to the “inventory” they build up, but Rozum, in his use of an object mentioned only in passing last issue, shows an almost clockwork mind in his storytelling.  By drawing so much attention to the “pearl of wisdom” Julian gives to David, it acts as a ticking time bomb, its reappearance a signal of a dire turning-point in the story.

The loss of this title also means the loss of the most ideal platform for showing off Irving’s distinctive art style.  Few artists can blend the horrific and awesome, the grounded and ethereal, the earthly and otherworldly, all at the same time.  That he even has the material to do so is a very good indicator of how special this title is.

Conclusion: It’s hard to swallow the fact we have one issue left before this title disappears yet again.  I try not to get too subjective where my reviews are concerned, but this series has grown very dear to my heart.  I think I may have to write in a physical letter on its behalf.

Grade: A-

– Minhquan Nguyen

Some Musings: – Call me Deputy Downer, but shouldn’t Catholic Girl be in class right now or something?

– Seriously, that is one boss mustache on Captain Morgan’s face.

– And you should totally watch Lost Horizon (1937).  I’m with the nuns on this one; Ron Colman has a magnificent voice.