Action Lab Entertainment 2015
Written by Vito Delsante
Illustrated by Sean Izaakse
Coloured by Ross Campbell
This is one of those mini-series that perfectly sets up the desire from readers for an ongoing monthly series. It’s a great coming of age story as a boy finally grows up to become a man and getting past his family expectations and finding his own path that was one he was already on. We’ve seen Rodney’s reaction to the big fight between him and his father but this issue opens up with that fight and we finally get to see how much father and son are alike and how two stubborn men let emotions and ego get in the way of their relationship. Also demonstrating why communication in any relationship is so vital.
I’m also in love with the interior artwork here and seeing a fifteen year old Rodney arguing with his father both unwilling to see the others point of view, both of whom are wrong in the way they are handling things by the way, and seeing him just so young and dare I say cute and idealistic brings back memories of the eighties when comics looked this clean and detailed.
I’m actually surprised and impressed with how all the background information we got in those flashbacks actually ties into the story. Here I thought we were just getting some great characterization instead it’s important stuff that we learn and see. With the two heroes watching Jumeaux’s broadcast where he admits to killing Doberman we see a villain unlike any other. His face has this huge scar down the middle represents a man who has two personalities inside him as if two separate people were fused in the middle creating one man.
I like that Rodney’s former teammates have stepped in to take the man who killed his father down leaving him on the sidelines. The similarities here with Rodney (Robin) and the Titans isn’t lost on me but I have to say it really just add that something of a special nod to a time when comics really were fun to read without having to be that dark and brooding.
How his former teammates fair and Rodney finally puts his past to rest and is ready to move into the future has been told exceptionally well. This was one hell of a coming of age story where the lead character can finally evolve into what he was always meant to be all the while overcoming that adversity and personal drama needed to make him a better man.
Action Lab has the newest and one of the best characters in comics primed to make an impact on the industry with the Stray.