Written By Rick Remender
Art by Bengal
Published by Image Comics
This is another book by the ever unique writing talent of Rick Remender. The man has all sorts of creative ideas that he’s been putting forth in either these long form series or some shorter ones.
This is one of the shorter ones but it has enough in it to make it feel like a full meal. The whole book really is a nice blend of a few different genres too and it allows the creative team to really go forth and do what they do best.
Honestly, it is a beautiful and well written book that is extremely compelling. It does take a little bit of time to get there though to be honest.
I actually thought one of the assassin characters introduced at the beginning of the book was the main character upon first reading this.
Remender keeps the reader much at an arms length for the beginning chapter of this book. I had a bit of trouble following it. However, as time goes on, I started to realize it is really about a brother and sister and about their exploits and experiences together and the power that they both have. Once I realized that the main characters are Sam and Sarah, I was able to dig in and refocus my sense of narrative and place.
That’s when the book became truly much more interesting for me as a reader.
Basically, Sarah’s powers involve her being able to grant another person their desires. And she does so. We get to see a few examples of that. Sam’s powers involve something much more intense. He’s got a lot of power to him and it makes him incredibly dangerous.
There is someone called the Magnificent Leader as well who is interested in this pair with their abilities and what they can do to him. Who is this mysterious Magnificent Leader? How does he fit in with the journey of both Sarah and Sam? Is there something much more incredible happening here? The book asks all these questions and more. It answers a lot of them as well in some really intriguing ways.
The book becomes a mind bender as time goes on.
Sarah and Sam go up against this Mysterious Leader and we get to learn more about him. They seem to share a history of sorts as well with him and that starts to come out in the narrative. Over time they realize that they may indeed have to kill him. But what does that mean if they do? Can they both survive without killing him. And what would the overall ramifications of such an action be?
Sam especially starts to realize that he has a lot in front of him. He realizes that if he does kill the Mysterious Leader that a void will open up. Who is going to fill that void? More importantly, will that person that takes over be much worse than what we already have? That is when we see the darker version of what might lie ahead. Could Sam himself be the next Mysterious Leader? And if he is, what does that mean for the rest of his life? What does that mean for his future and of course his relationship with Sarah?
The questions that are raised are quite intriguing. There are a ton of philosophical questions that are asked as the book goes on. But it is never at the expense of the action. There is plenty of that to be sure and it is never boring. The creative team have dipped into the science fiction world heavily here. The influence of Moebius is everywhere in this book and it is present in every single frame. The whole thing leads to an ending which might be considered divisive. There are no easy answers here and the consequences for people and their actions is a theme that is dealt with heavily by the end.
The story by Rick Remender is top notch.
I love the way he just puts himself into a corner as a writer and gets himself out in a smart way each way. It is admirable. The art by Bengal is some of the best of his career. I enjoyed this book, despite a rough beginning. It is well done and smart and I appreciate the craftsmanship of this creative team.
RATING: B+
