Source Point Press 2020
Written & Lettered by Dave Pantano
Illustrated by Diego Toro
Coloured by Kote Carvajal
Hollywood has come calling, and they've given Wally McDermott five days to perfect the pitch for his comic, Backfire! If he can conquer writer's block, a relationship in disarray, and a villainous scoundrel of his own creation, he might just stand a chance... might... maybe... The odds in Vegas don't look good in this zany, very meta and very adult superhero comedy!
There is something about this that is so metaphysical and esoteric about the way we see this being done. To write a story centred around a character who is writing a story for a comic book that is supposed to be pitched for a film deal is more like real life than fiction in some ways. Then again there’s plenty in here with that which makes much more than a work of fiction and delves into the psychological behaviour of the main character, Wally. Somehow, someway Dave manages to blend the seriousness of certains aspects with the absurdity of others and makes this kind of weird romantic comedy of sorts. You will have to read for yourself to judge just how close this comes to that but the makings of it are present at least to my eye.
I am thoroughly enjoying the way that this is being told. How we see the story & plot development always moving forward through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is really rather well done. There is a way that this is being told that nearly blurs the line between the work Wally is doing and Wally’s own life that are as intricate woven together as the mosaics seen in Ravenna. The character development is phenomenal as we see the comic characters alongside the real world counterparts. The mirrored effect is really rather intriguing and leads to the reader becoming engaged in the story in a way they wouldn’t have suspected. The pacing here is sensational and as it takes us through the pages revealing the world these characters live in we see just how well it all works together to create the story’s ebb & flow.
The way the book is structured and how we see the different layers within it makes for some extremely fun and often uncomfortable moments that make us see people and possibly a profession in a new light. Or just perhaps it confirms suspicions that readers have already had for some time, regardless this is as entertaining as it is engaging for and to the reader. By the way that surprise kiss ending should be utilised more now.
The interiors here are great! I love how we see such a traditional appearance of a comic book style throughout. The linework is strong, confident and with the varying weights being utilised to bring out the detail work we see some wonderfully expressive stuff. Faces and facial expressions are key to helping the reader connect to the characters and they are extremely well rendered here and that makes this a joy to see. I would like to see backgrounds utilised more because all that blank space behind a character talking is meh. When we do see them they do wonders in enhancing the moments, bringing us this great depth perception as well as the overall sense of size and scope to the book. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a superb eye for storytelling. The colour work we see here is also very well rendered. I am enjoying seeing how light sources are being utilised and how they create the various hues and tones within the colours to create the shading, highlights and shadow work.
This is what the 80’s was missing from their attempts at adding humour to comics. I mean the Justice League was way too silly at one point, had the added aspects such as we see here it would’ve been so much more than a joke period in the books history. This is extremely well written and delightfully illustrated and it will engage your mind as it makes you laugh at the same time.