Aftershock Comics 2021
Written by Peter Calloway
Illustrated by Georges Jeanty
Coloured by Juancho!
Lettered by Charles Pritchett
All Nathaniel wanted was a job as the qualified Doctor he is. A way to prove his worth to the world. He knew asking for money from the mob was a deal with the Devil, but what choice did he have? If he didn’t, it meant failure. And that would prove everyone else right. So, he was willing to go back to the life he had left behind. He was willing to sign on the Devil’s dotted line. If, of course, Al Capone was willing to have him.
I am in complete awe of this story. Not only would this be one of the most sensational stories created that it is indeed a series of true events makes it all the more the inspiring. This could be a feature film or a special on television and the world would be captivated and let me tell you the world should be captivated by this. What Peter is doing is incredibly brave and terribly emotional to lay his family history on the line as it were. There are many times when we say reality is stranger than fiction or art imitates life but to see those phrases come to life like this before us is truly a blessing.
The way that this is being told is bloody brilliant. The story & plot development we see advancing through how the sequence of events unfold alongside how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The opening is endearing and shows us that Nathaniel found love in women regardless of the colour of her skin. The character development that we see is phenomenal and really what that centres around is Al Capone. From the way we see them in the tailor’s shop to how Al’s mother talks about Nathaniel this turns them from characters on a page into real people. The pacing is excellent and how it takes from one important moment to the next is master rendered.
Seeing how this is structured and the layers within the story highlighting the era and the time this all occurs is sensational to see play out. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow is really quite delightful. It isn’t easy to take someone’s life and make a story like this out of it but what Peter has chosen to pick and spotlight creates this emotional impact on the reader and it’s damn lovely.
This might be the best work of Georges career, and that is saying something in and of itself. The linework is masterfly laid down and how the varying weights and techniques are utilised to create the detail work and the eerie likeness of the characters shows a man of skill and talent in a class few others can reach. I mean I never considered Capone sexy before this issue. I am so impressed with the way backgrounds are incorporated into the book and how they work within the composition of the panels to create this depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows a brilliant eye for storytelling. The colour work is beautifully rendered as well. How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is amazing to see. I mean the mastery over colour, the understanding of how it works and to see the patterns and such is so incredible.
I feel like i’m reading a documentary of something that should be a standout during Black History Month. The story is brilliant, the real life characters and events spotlight so much about loyalty, compassion and yes even friendship in ways that folks need to be reminded of even today.