Image Comics 2016
Written by Ed Brubaker
Illustrated by Sean Phillips
Coloured by Elizabeth Breitweiser
Well this was certainly an interesting first issue. I’m not really sure what to think really I mean yes it’s intriguing and it’s action packed and the characterization is pretty darn stellar. So what’s to think about? There’s something in the way that the story of the main character is presented that sticks with you. How does one become a modern vigilante? What could possess one to seek out the bad in this world and eliminate them? Are demons real or are they just voices in our head to justify what we do? Ultimately that’s up to you to decide but Ed is certainly making a case for both sides of that here.
Dylan’s an interesting character and he’s complex and wired so that he is constantly berating himself and second guessing all his choices. Okay that’s what I see happening and in all honesty that’s pretty much a lot of people nowadays. I think the way things have gone and the kids are raised nowadays has left a generation confused, lost and constantly in search of themselves with little hope of finding something. Of course that is solely my view point but I see parts of that here. Still as Dylan takes us through the journey of his life as scattered and unfocused as it is you begin to really get a sense of who he is and how he sees himself.
We also get that opportunity to see him through Sean and Elizabeth’s eyes as well. The attention to detail here is why I love seeing Sean’s work. The flow of the story, the use of pages and panels to their fullest, small touches (the tushy shot) and the ones that grab your attention all have those moments that really flesh out the story in ways only Sean can do. The angles and perspectives he chooses really take you on his emotional roller coaster with him and allow you to be more fully interactive in his life and story as he tells it.
Is there that one moment in your life where something is “the straw the broke the camel's back” that changes your life forever? Apparently for Dylan there is but I’m excited, thrilled and confused by what happens with that. I can’t decide if it’s all delusional or if his strings are being pulled by someone or something else. See this what they are doing here they are making you think throughout the issue. They draw you in, make you think about what you are seeing, analyze it so you have some hope of empathy or understanding and then take you places where you question it all.
This is probably some the most interesting, intelligent and a completely personal judgment comic story I’ve ever read. Granted we’re seeing everything through the eyes and experiences of one man, who it appears sees things with a certain perspective so what is real, what isn’t and how exactly did these events go down? Can we be 100% sure it’s accurate or how Dylan interprets them that make us see how his reactions then make sense.
Whatever the reality is i’m in hook line and sinker because this is utterly amazing. From concept to execution to stunning interiors this will mean something different to everyone who reads it.