Red 5 Comics #3
Created & Written by Scott Chitwood
Illustrated by Rod Thornton
Coloured by Sean Lee
Lettered by Dave Lanphear of A Larger World Studio
Desperate to save his friends, Jake commandeers a train and races towards Rome with the help of former rival Galeno. With mutant soldiers and Hidinger's team hot on his heels, Jake fears he may be too late. Little does he know that his friends have already been captured by Castillo, a mysterious mutant leader with ties to Drea's past.
God how I am fan of this series. There is just something about an apocalyptic world with mutated humans that brings a huge smile to my face. Of course the whole world isn't like this but that's okay the ruined part of the world is where the action is at. Also all those relics folks are willing to pay the big bucks to have recovered to either keep them for selfish reasons or to exemplify that they have power of some sort. Jake however doesn't care what their reasons are so long as the money's good as his fate is somewhat already written. Though if their current employer isn't lying and he brings them in instead of Hidinger that fate may be rewritten.
That Scott is able to take this to a level that it's at and with so many layers within the story is amazing to see. The way this is structured is so nicely done. The pacing is strong and how the story & plot development and character development manage to weave in, out and around each other is well done. The way that we see events unfold is great and to find out how Drea knows Castillo that's just an added bonus to everything else. With as much stuff that is going on here you would almost think it was omni-shambles but it's far from that as can be. It has this crazy rhythm to it that just works.
I love the characterisation here as well. No one is left out in how they come across so that we see the same treatment to team and their adversaries alike means we get to find those characters we like, we love to hate and those we definitely want to see more of. I may never have been a fan of the Pope but this one is beyond crazy and infected so yeah I am kind of fascinated by him.
By the nine circles of hell are these interiors so exceptionally well done. Alright so while I don't know what is by hand or computer generated all I do know is that things like the train or the inside the Vatican City Cathedral, heck even the Chinook or whatever type of Helicopter that is are amazingly well rendered in their attention to detail. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective show a sensational eye for storytelling. The colour work is fantastic as well and the way that we see light sources utilised to create shading and shadows is so strongly represented. The night time darkness really does manage to create just the right mood, tone and feel needed for this part of the adventure.
I will say that things in the book have to unfold the way the do. This is how to get the maximum impact as well as extend things into the next book. Besides it does help with the characterisation as well since what we see has this supposed to have a profound effect on the characters. It certainly does have one on me and that last page certainly gives that cliffhanger style ending though in a most non-traditional way. Though while I have my suspicions as to who was eliminated from the race on this leg of journey I do wish that were a little more clear.
With the setting and the premise behind the motives what we see here is so much more fun, interesting and exhilarating than any other action/adventure thriller than I have seen in quite some time.