Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Gary Frank
Published by Image Comics
The whole Ghost Machine imprint under the instruction of the mighty Geoff Johns is one of the more interesting launches over the last few years. Johns has brought together some of the most top notch and interesting creators in comics together for this intertwined comic book line.
All of it is of the highest quality, yet I don’t know if I am wholly invested in this comic book line. It is mostly because I can’t find any characters to relate to, which is a hallmark in all of the work of Geoff Johns.
These characters all feel cold to me.
This book doesn’t do much to change that assessment that I have.
That’s not to say the book is bad. There is a lot here that is very likable, in fact. There is action, humor, and even a lot of excitement. There even is some amazing artwork by the always great Gary Frank. Frank’s artwork is even some of the best of his career. I am not sure why, but it all feels so polarizing to me.
It could be that our title character is a robot. It could be that the legend that they are trying to ascribe to him just doesn’t work for me. It could be I am just in a bad mood when I read these books. But it all feels unnecessary almost like that there is really no reason for this book to exist.
The story is about a robot named Junkyard Joe who carries around the spirits of dead soldiers within him. We get to see him join the group of soldiers known as the Junkyard Dogs. Their interaction is some of the best parts of the start of this book. We see them in Vietnam being forced to work with this robot that they just met. Can they trust the robot at all? A lot of them don’t. Over the course of the story, we get to see them bound with the robot. Eventually, one of them even turns their relationship with him into a really famous comic strip!
If this all seems a bit silly, well, that’s because it is. Instead of leaning in to the craziness and yes, goofiness of the cone felt, the creative teams play it straight. Almost too straight. There is no room for the concept to breathe. Instead, the concept is treated deadly serious and we are forced to be reminded that this takes place in a bigger world. This character is eventually going up against Geiger for god’s sake. Rather then being just a background curiosity, the creative team make him a major player in this universe.
But again, the question is why?
Johns and Frank don’t have too many good answers on that front. The creative beats of the book go along on their usual beats. There are no real surprises and you pretty much know where this is going to all end up. Yet, thanks to some great storytelling with the artwork, it does have some interesting and exciting moments that make the reading experience worth it, even if if doesn’t feel quite whole. It is interesting to see how the fighting scenes are paces, and the design work here is second to none, it really is. Johns and Frank have worked together for so long and so well that it really is something to behold their creative alchemy.
By the end of the book, we see the fate of Junkyard Joe. There is some goof build up in the fifth chapter that makes the book look like it is going to have a very exciting ending. Yet, it falls short and even ends on a whimper. I wish it didn’t. It seems to want to be tied to the Geiger books and the bigger universe so much that it almost feels tacked on. I wish it felt more natural and had actually mace more sense story wise.
Creating a new universe is not easy at all. I commend the effort here and the other books have a lot of charm. The creative team certainly brings a bigger pedigree than most books and it shows. This book must felt like it wasn’t necessary, unlike a lot of books in this growing line of comics.
RATING: B
You must be logged in to post a comment Login