By: Simon Oliver (story), Robbi Rodriguez (art), Rico Renzi (colors)
The Story: The public questions whether FBP agents are considered essential employees.
The Review: One WCBR commenter, Del Keyes, and I recently had a discussion following a review of a Legend of Korra episode which, for reasons too convoluted to explain, eventually ended with me concluding that it’s better to grow as a person before seeking love. Besides simply being just good general advice, it’s a lesson that FBP clearly needs to learn, because at the moment it expects too much investment from you in proportion to its actual virtues.
At the very least, Oliver grossly overestimates how much we care about the integrity of Adam and Jay’s relationship. Given how quickly we went from learning about how they met in the FBP to the moment when Jay unhesitatingly pulled the trigger at point-blank on his mentee, it should be no surprise they get through the requisite confrontation-reconciliation-redemption in under five pages. How can anyone be expected to feel moved under those circumstances?
Frankly, it would take a more efficient writer than Oliver to deliver the impact that scene needs in such a short amount of time. It’s extremely difficult, though not impossible, to get attached to a character in a mere four issues, but it’s definitely not going to happen if a character can sum up his entire story arc thusly: “My life’s fucked up…everything I had I’ve pissed away. …And they offered me a way out.” Later on, investigators clarify that Jay suffered massive gambling debts, but we get no elaboration beyond that. Brevity is generally a good thing, but not at the cost of leaving a character so shallow.
Even worse, Jay can’t offer any details on the conspiracy driving the tension of the series. On the identity of his employers, he says, “It was a guy in a limo.” That’s it. That’s all he brings to the table. No specifics of what he was asked to do and why and for how long. No description of the guy’s physical characteristics. Nothing about the circumstances which led to their meeting or their ongoing contact. “[G]uy in a limo” is the best that a veteran FBP agent can provide.
So contrary to feeling any threat about the impending redundancy of the FBP, you’re inclined to think some oversight and competition is entirely necessary. It doesn’t really matter to you one way or another what happens to the agency; you’ve never gotten a good sense of its operations or values, so even if it had gotten disbanded, you wouldn’t get too choked up about it. The same goes for Adam’s hiatus from FBP work. While Cicero treats the decision with a little anxiety, you really couldn’t care whether Adam comes back or sticks to hillbilly life in an RV. Adam certainly doesn’t seem all that attached to the FBP, so why should you be?
All in all, the pacing of this arc has turned out to be quite a bit of a mess. Oliver was doing pretty well for himself up until the last issue, laying out a solid foundation of character, concept, and plot that seemed ideal for greater embellishment later on. Instead of building onto those scaffolds, this issue cuts them all short, leaving you a climax and conclusion that feel like they come a year or so before their time.
Rodriguez’s art is agile and hip, clearly the kind of visuals you want for a cutting-edge piece of sci-fi. The problem, of course, is that FBP lacks the substance to classify as a cutting-edge piece of sci-fi, and Rodriguez’s art doesn’t help to fill the gaps. His linework is sparse and minimal, the product of the lightest of pencils and the thinnest of inks. Though this makes any moment of action look dynamic, it can have the opposite effect also. The collapse of the Crest Building, instead of looking like a tragic instance of devastation, comes across as mostly clouds of smoke and the faint impression of a split tower. It’s more puff than explosion, and there’s no combination of colors Renzi can mix up that will disguise that fact.
Conclusion: While the chain of events is logical and competently rendered, the timing is very poor, indeed. Oliver has to do his homework before he can get the payoff he expects
Grade: C+
– Minhquan Nguyen
Some Musings: – I’m kind of disappointed that the Mark Twain lookalike isn’t the mastermind behind the Crest Building fiasco after all. A person with that boss a mustache deserves more than to be a glorified lackey.
Grade
Conclusion