Aftershock Comics 2015
Created & Written by Paul Jenkins
Illustrated by Andy Clarke
Coloured by Dan Brown
Lettered by Clayton Cowles
Sometimes i’m still surprised at the speed some books jump to become among those I absolutely love to read. This one had a fast climb for me to excited a new issue was out and what Paul, Andy and Dan manage to do here keeps me thrilled time after time. I'm also a huge fan of the fact that Paul has taken a route that I wasn’t expecting and has taken all these crazy, fun and unique personality traits of one of man to create a veritable legion of crazy individuals while still managing to keep us abreast of the crazy alien landscape and customs around them in such a way is almost mind boggling.
So while this issue focuses on Clone 5 or more commonly known as Quasi, a Quasimodo reference that is entirely accurate and wholly unwanted, we still get things that are happening with a case and the other species who play dominant roles. I’m not really sure exactly how many clones there are but if we keep getting spotlights on them like we’ve been getting than we’ll be reading this forever, and i’m okay with that.
Well not really on a side note but close enough I’d LIVE for a copy of this issue that showed everything that was hidden. I mean it’s 2016 and what if one issue was adults only it’s not like it would matter all that much would it? There are so many moments when Andy and Dan took us places visually that would have been killer to see from different angles, yeah I know i’m kind of weird and a tad perverted but we’re talking clones here and i’m dying to know if all were created equal! I’m already amazed by Andy’s eye for storyboarding--page and panel usage, and how he can manipulate the same look to be original and unique so just for me then? LOL
I think part of what makes this so good is that all these different personalities are a part of Trevor and he’s having a hard time processing that. Bits and pieces of himself he never knew about, is ashamed of, or would plainly rather kept hidden on are full display and seeing him cope not only with that but to have been targeted, possibly, by one of his clones for assassination well yeah it’s the kind of writing that ends up with Trevor doing and creating situations that are well kind of extreme.
Another part of what I absolutely adore about this series are getting to know the clones like Quasi. That his personality and his mind in no way match his visage is one of the most blatant “don’t judge a book….” instances there is. Also the focus on various alien races and their interaction with the Terran’s well that’s a heck of a lot of fun too! I mean the Scarlet and 5’s response to them yeah all of it classic. Almost as much as Trevor’s idea after that and how he implemented it.
You never really know what you’re going to get here and there’s no point in trying to guess. Just when you think you’ve got one figured out suddenly a new previously unseen part of them comes out and changes your opinion. Which is a way of saying the character evolution, see growth, is amazingly well done.
With the best all around characterization alongside some brilliant interior artwork there’s no doubt this is the strongest most well rounded offering of the year!