By: Ales Kot (writer), Morgan Jeske (art), Sloane Leong and Ed Brisson
The Story: I’m honestly not sure….
Quick review: This just isn’t a comic for me. I know that there are people who like this sort of story and I know that I should just agree to disagree with those people. But deep inside I wonder what the hell is wrong with people who enjoy these oblique and impenetrable stories.
The beginning of the end (for me) happened early in this comic where we have a lovely splash-page showing a cityscape and narration boxes that say, “This is a tale of beginnings and ends, and all that lies between. This is a tale of becoming, for forgiveness, or moving on. This is a tale of me…and you.” Ugh. I just can’t abide this type of storytelling. I could write 1000 words about how weak it is to warn us that you’re about to tell a seriously deep story and that we need to pay attention or else we’ll miss it. I don’t have a problem with deep stories or stories that make you “work for it”, but I DO have a problem with writers who feel the need to announce the impending deepness with flourishes of jiber-jaber language. Get over yourself and just tell the damn story…
Because I was so put off by the narrative style, I can’t tell you that much about what it is about. There’s a rapper guy who is trying to get people to write a fictional story with him as the star, there’s a struggling writer who has dirt on her face for some reason and there’s an astronaut in his capsule returning home. And there is a strong waft of Cthulhu present. I feel like there is the backbone of an acceptable story here, but it is just held back by the narrative style
The best part of the comic is the art. This art could be in a much better comic book and the visuals are the only reason I remember a few of the characters. The whole comic has a kinda Paul Pope look to it. Now, it isn’t anywhere near as good as Paul Pope, but most artists aren’t anywhere near as good as Paul Pope. This art deserved a better story.
Conclusion: If you like stories that are made impenetrable just for the hell of it, be my guest. The art is quite good and could be in a much better comic, but isn’t enough to save the day.
Grade: C-
– Dean Stell
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Conclusion