Comicraft/Comixology Orignals 2019
Written & Lettered by Richard Starkings
Illustrated by Alex Medellin
Cover by Boo Cook
Following hot on the heels of ELEPHANTMEN 2261: THE DEATH OF SHORTY and the ELEPHANTMEN HOLIDAY SPECIAL, ComiXology have invited the ELEPHANTMEN team back to launch season 2: THE PENTALION JOB by creator/writer Richard Starkings, artist Axel Medellin and cover artist Boo Cook! Weapons of the war between Africa and China's transgenics have surfaced and are being transported from the East Coast to the West Coast by Transamerican. HEIST!
So I haven’t picked up an Elephantmen book in years. I tried to follow but at the time felt lost amidst the story that was in progress. I bring this up because I was hesitant to start again, however if you are like me in this regard have faith that you can jump into this issue and follow along with what’s happening fairly easy. It is a new reader friendly jumping on point as the characters we meet get a bit of background right from the get-go making things easy enough to follow. I like Richard and how he is able to tell his stories and this one is pretty unique among them.
The way that this is being told is extremely well done. While this book features characters that genetically altered it still reads as if it were just another mystery action/thriller story and that alone is fantastic. I am awed by the level of storytelling and especially the characterisation that we see in these pages. It doesn’t really matter what you are it really is all about who you are and I can’t think of someone who is better than demonstrating that through their work than Richard is. At some point you realise that you aren’t looking at them as aberrations but just as normal men and that is the result of such strong ability and talent in his craft.
The way that this book is structure is sensational. As the story & plot development takes hold through the pacing, revelations and information that we learn you feel this incredible ebb & flow to the book. Also Richard has a way of layering the story so multiple arcs can be running through the main one. From the Museum of Tolerance, the man gist of this caper, Obadiah, Sahara and Scarlett all have things happening around the story in fringe in spotlight that keep them a part of things as well interesting and intriguing.
The interior artwork here is pretty damn stupendous! It feels like there is traditional hand drawn as well as some computer generated moments working in concert with each other to create one hell of a great experience. The final panel of page 7 is an example and holy effin crisco if that isn’t one of the more powerful images I have ever seen. So kudos on the linework as well as the colour work because I'm seriously telling you how good this shit is. The creativity and imagination on display here is so well conceived and executed it’s almost scary in how well it’s done.
The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show off a stellar eye for storytelling. The backgrounds being utilised here add so much to the moment, to the size and scope of this world and just give that extra boost. The colour work here compliments everything as it really is utilised in such a way that helps with the characterisation, it brings people and places to life in ways that are as realistic as they come.
I am telling you here and now, if you haven’t started reading digital comics then you should dip your toes in with Comixology Originals. Love em or hate em this the only way your going to be able to read this and it would be a crying shame if you missed out on this revival. This is what comics were made for and the level and quality of the work we see here is perfect.