Aftershock Comics 2016
Created & Written by Adam Glass
Illustrated by Patrick Olliffe
Coloured by Gabe Eltaeb
Lettered by Sal Cipriano
Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders find themselves in the belly of the beast, as they must battle a monstrosity that is not of this earth...yet IS. But to defeat this enemy the team must first conquer their past and the demons that haunt them. The stakes are not just their own, but the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
What in the name of all that’s holy have I just read? Well i’ve said from the get go that Adam has been doing something incredible with this series and he continues to prove me right here. We’re seeing something that would seem to make absolutely no sense at all but in every way possible it makes perfect sense. We aren’t quite sure exactly what they are up against and we’ve see a lot of people here to discover the same thing they are. Whether it’s the source of light or those alien worm thingies in the ear there’s a lot going on here that is still unexplained.
I kind of like this look at Roosevelt. It just reaffirms that Adam has been using and tying in the real history of the man alongside that which has been created for this story. Definitely the definition of alternate history and done in such a way that it makes a good deal of sense. I like the idea of his being taken on his sojourn of self-discovery and being trained in ways most “white” men would never experience. It’s like he was chosen, or destined, for something greater and in the here and now that is being fulfilled.
While we still have no idea what is attacking their minds and their senses I have to say that whatever is targeting them is doing so in some of the most interesting ways. Exposing only to them their greatest shame, fear or desire gone wrong. So far Adam’s characterisation has been solely focused on their current moments so that he’s able to use this psychological attack upon them to flesh out their characters more is a welcome sight. More so since it’s being done in a way that both continues the story and reveals bits and pieces of their pasts.
I’ve also made no secret that I’ve been a fan of Patrick and Gabe’s work since issue one and I love what we see here. The way Patrick’s eye for storytelling is showcased through page layouts by angles, perspective and the use of backgrounds really does make what we see so much larger than what’s happening. We get that sense of a larger story happening around them and there’s a great feel and tone to what’s happening as well. The skinnier, younger, Teddy in the opening compared to the thick, brawnier man he is now really does have some oomph to it.
Every issue of this that has come out has continued to impress and reveal so much about this world they live in. It’s utterly familiar and completely foreign at the same time like a history book as seen through the looking glass. There’s so much to absorb both overtly and subtly that you need multiple readings just to get the most out of it. I love the creativity and imagination on display here and how easily we as readers can be drawn in and absorbed into this world.