Image Comics 2016
Created & Written by Mark Millar
Created & Illustrated by Frank Quitely
Coloured by Sunny Gho
Letters, Design & Production by Peter Doherty
The world's greatest superhuman is back. Hutch and the gang have tracked him down to a secret hide-out in northern Russia where the ageing super-villain has become a bitter loner. With Walter Sampson's league of super-villains taking over the planet, can a world crisis haul this legend out of retirement, or must the gang face the bad guys alone?
I’m not sure even science can quantify what Mark’s capable of doing to readers. The way he can write characters and manipulate situations has this undeniable effect on readers that cause to slightly lose our minds and leave us boggled at the sheer amount of talent on display. As Hutch and his happy lil family go visit Skyfox, Hutches father and Jason’s grandfather, the way that played out has to be the most remarkable family discussion i’ve even seen in my entire life.
George’s self-pity at the hand life threw at him couldn’t have been overcome by his son. Instead after seeing and being treated like he was he decided that he’d rather give up and hide away forever wallowing in the past and a bottle. The whole self-righteous woe is me pity party couldn’t be bothered with an interruption of the son who once meant the world to him that he visited the boy before being taken in. I’ve never been more engrossed in dialogue and characterization than by what Mark does here. Even more remarkable is that Jason being who he is well you have read it to understand what he does. It’s one of the most stunning use of “out of the mouths of babes” manipulative and creative use of language to come across on paper.
Speaking of creativity on paper there’s Frank’s work here. His signature style on full display has never been tighter, cleaner and more expressive. It’s truly remarkable what he’s doing here. The emotion, feeling, tone and mood he creates with the way the page layouts, backgrounds and through the use of angles and perspective keep you as riveted to the page as the story does. This has to be his best work to date and it just keeps getting better and better with each page and issue.
Heroes who become villains, villains who become heroes and all the variations in-between that are the result of cause and effect of those people in charge and making bad decisions and stupid rules it’s as fascinating as it gets. Not to mention as complicated and gray area as real life itself is. There’s a reason these men are modern day masters in their fields and it’s because they can things to the reader that few other creators can. It’s this roller-coaster ride of emotion and that ability to draw the reader in, engage their minds and senses in ways that keep you thinking long past the last page that keeps us coming back time and again.
Next up will Skyfox lead the rebellion and free the prisoners of Supermax? The prison only he’s ever been escape from and exact his revenge on not only the man who hurt him the most but a society that threw him aside? Can’t wait to find out.