Twilight Zone #1

I was slightly worried regarding the end of the Twilight Zone arc that J. Michael Straczynski has been spinning for the past couple of months. The author has had a slightly hard time ending his arcs and making in a compelling fashion. Thankfully, he takes the easy way out in this issue, and goes for the typical bittersweet ending that was the only way this title could have functioned. While it may be sort of the easy way to conclude the tale, the added backstory adds to the overall conclusion making it a strong final issue. The events that spin out of the tale of mistaken identity have just enough intrigue to keep readers engrossed over a small four issue arc. It is satisfying to get in on this tale through the ground floor, and keep reading through the balanced character drama that has been so well established throughout the arc. The author really pulled back and showed that he can craft a piece that is grounded, yet still interesting and paced incredibly well. Passing the baton to the next story at the end of the issue after the author built up so much good will during this story, is a small stroke of genius.

 

The brawl between the dual philosophies of Trevor and John is intriguing, it is slightly cliched that they are both sort of fighting over a female love interest. Good comics is good comics at the end of the day, even with poor ideology. It is also refreshing that we are getting a black female lead at the core of the next tale. John’s story is so wonderfully heartbreaking. His backstory that was slowly established was so beautifully tragic, and evoked so much sympathy from the reader with ease. He is a tragic character, and when his premature death is teased, It is almost a reason to descend deeper towards depression. After reading this initial saga, readers will feel some complicated emotions regarding the comic, meaning that this script was very well written. I just hope that the next arc can be nearly as good.

 

The art hit it’s stride here. Guiu Vilanova is not a perfect artist, but nobody is better suited to this tale than he. The backgrounds look so sparse, which calls attention to the dire mood in this issue. The way that the artist depicts Jason Black is wonderfully creepy, the strange mustache and intriguing facial expressions will be burned into your memory. Also the blue tinting on the flashbacks work very nicely in most cases. The story has a certain clarity that is easy to get sucked into. The action flows off of the page in a smoother fashion. After a large exposure to Vilanova’s artwork, I seem to enjoy his pencils more and more. Only after the tale has concluded can I recognize that he is the perfect man for the job. This perfect fusion of words and pictures is something that should be celebrated time and time again. Comics is a collaborative process, and these guys seem to understand the ins and outs of the medium.

John Michael Straczynski and Guiu Vilanova have told such a wonderfully strange first arc in the Twilight Zone. I can’t wait to see where the book could possibly go next.