Dark Horse Comics 2020
Written by Matt Kindt
Illustrated by Wilfredo Torres
Coloured by Nayoung Kim
Lettered by Nate Piekos of Blambot
A constant stream of terrorist attacks follows John Shaw, and the only thing that keeps him one step ahead is a collection of power-giving inhalers and a hatred of shoes. When he's once again caught in the middle of a terrorist plot, Shaw finds that these random attacks may not be so random—and the fabric of reality may be at stake.
I can't quite put it in words why this is so damn fabulous but there is something here that captures the readers' attention, imagination, curiosity while engaging them as well. When I was a teenager reading the Mack Bolan novels I would often fantasise about being Mack and undertaking these adventures. So it has that connection for me personally because I already identify with the whole premise here. Regardless of who you are and how you feel about franchises this is going to slip into your subconscious and it's going to find a way to resonate with you on some level. It just will and I think that Matt being able to write such a wide array of characters and have them almost become a part of your life is what makes him such a special talent.
The way that this is being told is brilliant. The pages of a book that we see opening things up is a great, fun way of getting your attention as well as showcasing just how good Nate is at what he does. Then when the story gets going we start to see how simple and complex the story & plot development really is. The way we see the sequence of events unfold and how the reader learns information is done so bloody well and we see so much more than what's presented. Okay I did anyway but when you are “raised” on comics we all pick up those nuances easier than those who weren't. The character development here is utterly sensational! Not only do we see John as a man of flesh and blood but he's also a larger than life character as seen through others eyes thanks to the novels of his adventures. So what we see becomes endearing and makes us care about him more and more as the story continues. The pacing is sublime and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists and turns along the way we see how this all works to create the story's ebb & flow and highlights how it's structured.
Oh Wilfredo thank you so much for the work you do on these interiors and how for most of the time we see John he's shirtless and has a hairy chest. Also I love the linework we see here as well and in the faces and facial expressions we really get that extra boost of characterisation of these people. The way the varying weights are being utilised to highlight the attention to detail that we see is phenomenal. One thing that really stands out for me is how the backgrounds are utilised here. We get that sense he's in a train and it's an enclosed space and I find this so important for the reader to feel. It makes what he does all the more impressive and the fact that Wilfredo thinks things through like this is why he's such an amazing illustrator. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a masterful eye for storytelling. The colour work is incredibly simple and when something is so simple it has to be impeccable and no surprise that it is. I like the way we see the colours and how the gunshots flares pop on the pages. How we see the shading, highlights and shadow work through the myriad of hues and tones is nicely rendered.
With such a huge portfolio to his credit Matt doesn't shy away from going full steam ahead with all of his books. This is an example of a man unleashing an idea and making it stand head and shoulders above the others in the crowd. It is brilliantly written and fabulously illustrated and it is one of the years stand out offerings.