Aftershock Comics 2016
Created & Written by Paul Jenkins
Illustrated by Leila Leiz
Coloured by Tamra Bonvillain
Lettered by Ryane HIll
As she juggles difficulties in her home and public lives, Charlie Young must now decide whether or not to take on her most important role so far: as a spokesperson for the Gateway Army and Alters everywhere! When in costume as Chalice, she is quickly becoming an icon. However, this makes her a target for the demented super-Alter known as Matter Man. Charlie’s new responsibilities as Chalice may act to unite a nervous populace struggling to come to terms with Alteration…and they are going to put Charlie and her family firmly in the crosshairs!
Paul has a few interesting storylines running simultaneously throughout this book. As Chalice coming to grips with her power and new responsibilities and as Charlie trying to reconcile the transition she’s going through and how to drop that bombshell on her family as well as just dealing with everything all on her own. I like that each one is represented throughout the entire story and how they encroach upon each other. There’s a sensitivity to it and an almost nonchalance that belies the hardship she goes through.
There are a couple things that happen this issue that I liked and make me anticipate what’s to come. Her brother and father recognising Chalice as being okay is one thing but finding out she’s the brother/son is going to be something else entirely and that is going to be something to watch. Also there’s Teddy and that Matter Man detected him at the ballgame but not Chalice per se. We didn’t get to see the aftermath of the section of the ballpark falling so we don’t know if he was caught up in that or if he used his powers to save his family but this is another powder keg waiting to happen.
Leila and Tamra do some great work on the interiors here. I like the way the page layouts are utilised through angles, perspective and the use of backgrounds, which I wish there more of. The characters have great individual looks and the sheer amount of people we’re seeing to have that is awesome. Charlie’s dual identity and yet same facial features is nice to see and as amazing as Clark wearing glasses to disguise himself so does a wig and makeup for Charlie.
Now that Chalice has agreed to be the face of Alters and is decided to come out to her family she’s a got a whole new set of problems. A group known to work with Matter Man, well let’s say he intimidates them into doing his bidding, wants Chalice to join them as well only they aren’t going to take no for an answer.
It’s a daunting task to take a character just starting out a new life only to discover they have another new life to contend with as well. With a nice honesty about it Paul uses those around him to tell this accurately as possible from the human standpoint and then well c’mon he’s got the whole super heroics down. The real question is how long can Charlie really go it alone without revealing the truth to her family and teammates? Will she even have a chance to find out?
It’s not what you are it’s who you are that matters just ask Chalice.