Oni Press 2016
Written by Christopher Sebela
Illustrated by Robert Wilson IV
Coloured by Nick Filardi
Lettered by Crank!
Designed by Dylan Todd
Love means never having to say you’re sorry. Though it occasionally means having to say “Put your hands in the air, this is a stick-up.” With a crew assembled and their plans in place, it’s time for Callie and Mercer to take the biggest step of any relationship: stealing a few hundred thousand dollars from a crooked insurance company that holds the pink slip on their heart.
I really am a bigger fan of this than I’d thought I’d be. I mean the whole deal with Callie and her situation just defies explanation. She’s embraced this seeming figment of her imagination, her Heart donor Mercer, as if he’s more real than anyone she’s ever known. Part psychological in that she literally has a new lease on life and then she’s been wronged by her place of employment and with this newfound courage and lease on life she’s hellbent to make them pay. The fact that I can’t really figure out if he’s a figment or a real ghostly part of her just makes enjoy all the more.
Whichever way the cookie crumbles here she’s really embraced this life outside the law and hitting up the insurance company she worked for wiping them out well that’s every terminated employee’s dream come true. Also that she’s not a bad, per se, and that she has done what she could to expose the company's misdeeds and is trying to help those clients who were denied their claims kind of makes her the equivalent of a modern day Robin Hood.
The way Sebela is writing this has me enthralled. The characterization is flawless and again not knowing what’s truly happening with her is the “gimmick” that you can’t turn away from. The way the pacing of this story has been going keeps us on our toes as at times she’s confident and others leans too much on Mercer and yet the encouragement from him that’s she’s got this yeah it’s great stuff. Also the two she hired for this job are great characters in themselves. His dialogue when they parted was simply genius.
There’s something about the way Robert tells this story visually that kind reminds me of a seventies infused eighties underground comic. Quite the compliment actually because it’s interesting, edgy and full of unexpected delight. His eye in using the pages and panels for storytelling is really sharp. I enjoy the use of the backgrounds as minimal or simple as they are sometimes they give off a wondrous vibe.
This a gem people it’s going to be something that will ease it’s way under your skin and stay there like a tattoo. Pleasant, interesting and a conversation starter.