Thrillbent/IDW Publishing 2015
Written by Mark Waid
Illustrated by Peter Krause
Coloured by Nolan Woodard
Mark has made his mark with books like Incorruptible and Irredeemable and now with Insufferable he continues his masterful storytelling about heroes who aren’t what they seem to be. With the incomparable talents of Peter and Nolan bringing this to life this first issue really makes you sit up pay attention and shows you that great storytelling can be done without the gimmicks but by solid skill and ability.
We open with Nocturnus taking out a villain who had a young girl almost buried alive because his kickstarter didn’t raise enough money to free her. Nice touch adding that modern element into the story and finally someone using that medium in a way that emphasizes how ridiculous those fundraising sites can be. Galahad shows up to help out though he claims he didn’t need the old man’s help to get things done he clearly did and he then proceeds to get the girl out and take all the credit for himself.
At it’s core this is a story about a father and a son and the damaged relationship they have with one another. What makes this interesting is the fact that it could very well have been Batman and Robin if things had gone just a tad differently so the mentor/sidekick or father/son dynamic here is just one degree of separation different than what we’ve seen or has been hinted at elsewhere. So that Mark creates two new characters based on an old template and makes them fresh, new and interesting is the real testament to his skills as a writer.
I don’t want to go into the details of their relationship because it’s an important part of the story and you have to read it and see it from two different angles to see whom you would sympathize with. A father doing the best he can to push his son to be the best he can be or the son who sees this as an overbearing father and can’t do anything right in his eyes and the truth of course has to lay somewhere in the middle.
We really are introduced to some exciting new characters here and the complexity of the storytelling and plot advancement is pretty dang impressive. Even with the intrepid reporter not knowing the full story and hearing it from the horse’s mouth yeah it’s great stuff. I have to admit that watching dad suffer silently as he remembers the past and what was and what he’s lost as his son goes out of his way to “live it up” see excessive drinking and sex well the two couldn’t be more different and more alike. Even if the ungrateful bastard feels justified in his actions as we learn more about here.
Incredibly good interior artwork helps tell the story more fully and completely than just the words alone and with all the modern day things at their disposal, blogs, twitter you name it and we get it it seems and it’s all woven into a story as old as time that never gets boring when done right as Mark and Peter do here.
Ah the next great Waid story has found us don’t waste time getting your copy!