Skybound/Image Comics 2013
Written by Joshua Williamson
Illustrated by Goran Sudzuka & Vladimir KRSTIC Laci
Coloured by Miroslav MRVA
I love this series and this is it’s final issue and that makes me one sad person. It’s been a real pleasure over the past two years to thrill to the events of Jackson and his friends. What makes this issue special however is that this really isn’t the end but only the beginning of a new chapter and hopefully this won’t be the last time we see these characters.
I have to say the two distinct chapters of the story told with two distinct styles of artwork was a nice touch. The first part focusing on Jackson was eerily beautiful. Even with his entrance to the afterlife Jackson’s personality shines through and I liked the moment he realized that it wasn’t Trick who was greeting him. So when he has Death finally reveal his true form the two have this enlightening conversation. This really is one of the best intense and surprising things to happen in this series and it ends in the most unexpected of ways.
Meanwhile Nina is forced to read from the book by Markus whose rambling about having immortality or nothing at all so if she doesn’t read it they all die. As the doors finally open and Markus thinks he is finally going to get what he wants well fate has something else in store. Oh my goodness you’ve got to read this because if you think is the ending to a rivalry than you are mistaken and what happens here could only have been scripted by Joshua to be as effective as it is.
` So with everything that happens Rusnak accepts the offer to join the team provided they can match her salary but it’s a new and improved Nina that seems to be picking up the Jackson slack. New hair, clothes and attitude I like this new version of Nina a lot she like Jackson transformed her personality over the length of time she’s appeared here and now with this the last issue of Jackson’s book I’ll hold out hope that someday Joshua will revisit Nina and established in her new life regaling us with a new adventure, even if it’s only a four issue mini-series.
If you read the afterward of this book you’ll understand why this is the way the story ends and the journey both men took from the beginning till now and how both transformations have grown organically and it’s time for new chapters in all their lives to begin. I must say watching this self absorbed S.O.B. become a man who cares about his friends and grow and accpet that he may not have felt he deserved his life to fighting for it really does showcase so many people’s struggle through their own hardships. It’s always been more than just a supernatural detective story.
Collect the trades and thrill to the adventures in Jackson’s life because stories this good and complete come along so rarely and leave the reader with such an impact.