Image Comics 2018
Written by Skottie Young
Illustrated by Jorge Corona
Coloured by Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Lettered by Nate Piekos of Blambot
Stowaways! As Abel and Fox tumble out of Farmington they must quickly land on their feet. The protections of home are gone and they find themselves in a hungry, wild new world.
Last issue I wasn’t sure what this was going to be like and I expressed that last time around. I was more than pleasantly surprised and I continue to be with this issue as well. There is definitely a sense of awe and wonder that comes with this and a feeling that mixes how I felt seeing the Wizard of Oz for the first time but there’s also this harshness that I saw in Watership Down and finally there’s this sense of I get from Howl’s Moving Castle. If you can’t the combination of what I just put together then pick up the first two issues, read them and get back to me to tell me how right or wrong I am, yes I am daring you.
The way that this is structured is very nicely done. I love the opening not only does this give us a chance to see more of the inhabitants of this world but we also get to see how much mettle our daring duo on the run have. Skottie has really impressed me with his writing ability here we all know him primarily for his kiddie covers but the fact he’s this multifaceted and gosh darn good at all of it. I am totally into how we are watching the world expand and seeing Abel realise just how big and different the world is from he imagined.
So the timely introduction of Jeb is well executed. He is definitely one of those characters that could provide that mentor aspect that Abel needs but Abel really needs to accept that. Fox is Fox right he’s primarily a trickster sort and he’ll do what he needs to do to survive and with his cunning and roundabout way of revealing information well I think Skottie nails him as a character and that he’s of no help to Abel when it comes to making decisions it really is a great dynamic. Also we are beginning to see more characterisation coming from Abel and it really reminds me of a kid trying to be a grown-up while scared out of his mind. Plus not having any kind of reference on how to behave, accept help and friendship or facing adversity.
With every panel that I see I am falling more and more in love with the work that Jorge and Jean-Francois are doing here. The linework is gorgeous and how they are used with their varying weights to create this attention is mesmerising. The lines in the leaves or how the colour is used to ignite the symbol on Abel’s chest oh and Jeb’s home the creativity and imagination that we see is so sensational. I don’t normally want comics pages in my collection but I want the two-page spread where Jeb welcomes them to his home it’s just that damn good. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off a magnificent eye for storytelling. That backgrounds are utilised as they are to expand the moment and bring us a great sense of size and scope. Jean-Francois’s colour work really does bring this to life in ways that just shine.
This is just an utterly spectacular series and it’s only at issue two. The potential for what’s to come is something we can see and almost hold in our hands. The writing is outstanding and the story & plot development, pacing and characterisation along with this mesmerising and gorgeous interior artwork make this one that will make the new year more interesting.