Boom! Studios 2016
Created & Written by Steve Orlando
Created & Illustrated by Jakub Rebelka
Lettered by Thomas Mauer
Wow the end of the story and it’s climax isn’t anticlimactic but revenge is hollow and that’s something we never realise until it’s all over. The characterisation Steve brings to Jordan here is pretty exemplary and seeing him go through all this and how feels at the end it really is able to resonate with anyone who reads this. Anyone who’s felt lost and alone in the world or defined by their family or what they are supposed to be. As for endings it may not have the punch but it’s emotionally there to hit in you the feels.
The fight between father and son was something to witness i’ll say that much. Bakolier versus Jordan and the honestly I don’t know how you can justify saying what he said to his son here. It’s obvious that both of them are right in their assessment of the situation. For someone who claims to not remember much of the man he loved and had a child with Bakolier can recall a whole lot and perhaps thanks to the life he lived he did push Morgan away, he didn’t let him in and when it came time hoped he’d run taking Jordan with him. Or maybe he’s just a callous power hungry sadist who really enjoys being the big man on campus. Either way this confrontation was magnificently scripted.
As much as i’d like to have hoped there were two possible outcomes here there really only ever was one. If I had to venture it i’d say he got a good mix of both his fathers in him and while he’s got Bakolier’s tendency for violence he’s also got Morgan’s temperament for restraint. It does raise interesting questions of genetics vs environment in raising a child and which one prevails that’s for another story altogether.
I’ve come to really enjoy Jakub’s work on the interiors here. He’s a great unique style that plays beautifully on the page. I love the use of colour on these pages. The characters have such individuality to them and we can see the resemblance between Bakolier and Jordan in their faces. The way he utilises the page layouts through angles, perspective and even some backgrounds really make the world and scenes pop nicely.
One of the things that I do like about this story is that it’s pretty much complete. Seven days of the festival and Jordan’s mission is over and whatever comes next well that’s up to him and it’s of his own making. It doesn’t need a follow up to find out what happens to him, though I wouldn’t mind another thrilling adventure to see what he ends up doing with himself. This was memorable to the point we’d like to see more of him but complete enough that if we don’t this time spent together was worth it.
One man’s effed up journey between worlds to find himself through love violence comes to an end here and it’s one that I will gladly take with him again.