Chapterhouse Comics 2017
Written by Kalman Andrasofszky
Illustrated by Leonard Kirk & Emmanuelle Chateauneuf
Coloured by Yinfaowai Harrison
Lettered by Andrew Thomas
Empowered by an alien artifact found in Canada’s frozen North, Tom Evans is Captain Canuck, champion of the oppressed and the exploited. He’s the hero Canada has been waiting for, but is he strong enough to stand against the greatest threats the world has ever known? Tom Evans has walked away from Equilibrium, his brother Michael, and the mantle of Captain Canuck. With Captain Canuck out of the picture, P.A.C.T.— the paranormal investigation branch of CSIS—has been forced to contend with a seemingly unstoppable alien threat tearing its way across the planet.
For those of you who haven’t been following, or aware of, Captain Canuck don’t worry this is a great jumping on point for new readers. Not only do we get some crazy good, strong and compelling characterisation but Kalman also manages to throw in some action along with the direction that this season of the character is taking.
I like how this issue opens up and flows throughout the book. Open with the threat and a pseudo explanation about what’s happened to Captain Canuck. So this gives us reason to go checking on the man and see what he’s up to these days since hanging up the tights. It’s logical, interesting and is extremely easy to follow all the things that make getting into the series and the characters a pleasure.
I do like the interior artwork here as well. There’s a lot of time spent away from the suits and the fighting but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any action to be seen. The people have these great looks, the body proportions are stellar and the faces have life. The way that page layouts are done through their angles, perspective and the utilisation of backgrounds really make a great impression and make the flow the story sail smoothly.
That we are getting such a great look at Tom, his childhood relationship with his father and by extension his brother we this fantastic look at the family dynamic. It’s easy to see where the passion for what they are doing lies and comes from. Tom’s desire to finish what his father had started though he’s completely unaware of the whole, unedited, story. Combine that with what’s happening in the present and how we’re seeing it I have to say this is a sheer delight to watch unfold. The structure of this issue is great and the pacing is strong and gives you this snapshot into the man’s life in perfect portions.
It’s my hope that more and more people become exposed to series like this one. There are so many high quality books, creators and characters from some solid companies. This is Canada’s premiere superhero folks and he’s got a rich full history to explore alongside these current adventures.