Dynamite Entertainment 2017
Story by Pierce Brown
Script by Rik Hoskin
Illustrated by Eli Powell
Coloured by Jordan Boyd & Dee Cunniffe
Lettered by Tom Napolitano
Amidst the Sons’ daring operation, Fitchner recalls the assignment where he learned about true strength and honor from the Reds his Gold contemporaries looked down upon. Haunted by the things he experienced at The Institute, his life takes a turn as he meets the woman who would forever change his life…and, therefore, society as a whole!
I cannot get over how involved this book is. The level of characterisation here is so far beyond what I’ve come to expect from today’s storytellers. Fitchner is this whole complete person and as he and his gang run for safety that he recalls his past and the events that led him there took me by surprise. The way that this story can make you feel, move you and bring you so fully into his life and how he feels throughout needs to be experienced.
I have to give Rik some major credit and kudos for having the wherewithal to take someone else’s story and run with it with such expertise. He knows what we need to see and experience to get the most out of it and that isn’t easy to take someone else’s work and make it your own as well. The power of storytelling is such a strong and immense tool to be able to harness in the way we are seeing it here. Pain, love, loss and finding yourself it’s all on display as Fitchner goes from leaving the badness behind and finding the good in life by accident. How that transitions to the present remains to be seen but I cannot wait to see that.
Eli lays down some great work for the others to finish off. Jordan and Dee are amazing colourists and do wonders with what Eli gives them. The whole rainbow colour thing regarding the people, class structure and life is so well represented visually. The composition of the pages with their angles and perspective and the way backgrounds are utilised make this such a joy to see. Comics are only as good as the total sum of their parts and this story needs amazing interior artwork. It needs this kind of cinematic feel, the attention to detail and the raw emotion and feeling it can help bring.
Having not read the book this based on I can’t say how closely this follows it but it does make me want to find out. I’m so much beyond being impressed and blown away by the quality of the work here. The pacing, the dialogue the way that the book is structured all of it conspires to make this so much larger than life.
Dynamite takes these properties, novels from various writers, and turns them into these must have series. If there comes a time that this will branch out into new original and unique stories i’ll be thrilled. Just the kind of diversity of these series bring to the table is stupendous. Please do yourself this little favour and get lost in this story and try not to feel like you can identify with it. This is why I review books because this is something most folks won’t know about and need to, this is the epitome of powerful storytelling.