Aftershock Comics 2015
Created & Written by Paul Jenkins
Illustrated by Andy Clarke
Coloured by Dan Brown
Lettered by Clayton Cowles
Is it wrong that part of me wanted to see the cover play out inside the story? I mean c’mon sleeping with an alien you dislike and a clone of yourself in a weird threesome that well you shouldn’t have any earthly reason to expect? Yeah it’s right up there now in my mind of things I want to see. So thanks for that one.
This issue Paul takes us around the station and gives us a closer look into many of Trevor’s clones personalities. I have to say here that i’ve been wanting this since they were created and that we’re only getting a few here and there or just glimpse that it’s being done in such a way that really pulls in the reader and then leaves them wanting so much more. The characterization we get here is the kind of stuff that is utterly fascinating and incredibly thought provoking.
Let’s think about it for a moment each clone is an aspect of Trevor, his personality or a variation thereof. So regardless of what he thinks he possesses these traits so what happens when it’s a trait he doesn’t notice or hasn’t accounted for that takes prominence? I love that gets explored here I mean while we are the sum of our parts this takes a harsher, closer and brutal look at all those parts including those we didn’t know were there. So that Paul is able to highlight them and keep them all acting in a vein that resembles the original in some sense, i’ll go with that annoying stubborn streak or that he’s generally always right, makes it even more impressive.
So while we get are getting this great up close and personal view of Trevor and his clones, which by the way some of whom have adopted their own names and that I found fantastic, Paul hasn’t forgotten the case they’ve been working on. Weaving all this characterization into this mystery as we see different clones, as well as Trevor and Roger try to keep the case active is a masterful juggling act.
Speaking of Andy and Dan do more than their fair share of juggling too. Keeping the face the same and the basically the shade of colour throughout the hair the same while infusing distinct personalities for each of them through the visuals is awe inspiring to me. Then there’s just the sheer attention to detail, the use of linework and shading, pages and panel layouts to keep things moving along all of it has the great flow. Also if you look closely at the more subtle things going on it really does create a fuller more complete feel.
So as the story unfolds this issue it really is all about Trevor and his clones and less about this place they inhabit or the other species making their little guest spots. So there are plenty of surprises as we get to see how Trevor is getting along with these different versions of himself and we see just what kind of man he is. Surprisingly he’s more complex than i’d have given him credit for.
While i’m waiting for a bigger picture to be revealed, the clues are here and it’s going to lead up to that so in the meantime i’m happy to learn about the man and his clones.