Two-in-One: The Last Second Randy and Don look at The Last Second, a digital comic written and illustrated longtime comic artist MD Bright. Randy: Don and I are sort of breaking our own rules here, since we generally don't review comics that aren't in printed form. However, when the digital comic is a new project from an established comic book artist like MD Bright, we almost have to break the rules and take a look. Don: I've been a fan of Bright's art for a long time, but his writing was an untested commodity -- at least in my experience. I wasn't sure how I would react to The Last Second. I'm pleased to report it's a thoroughly entertaining read, full of novel ideas and a strong sense of humor. The Last Second written and illustrated by MD Bright Randy: Though I remember fondly his work on Icon and Quantum & Woody, most fans will probably know MD Bright from his work on DC's Green Lantern. Those fans would be well-advised to check out The Last Second, as it has a similar premise to that of Green Lantern, although it's approach is quite different than the one we've seen taken before. Don: The Last Second is the story of Trace Keen, and how he came to be an interstellar cop/ambassador. The title refers not to a moment in time, but Trace's title (I assume he reports to "the First"). One could describe The Last Second as Green Lantern meets The Last Starfighter, but that really only scratches the surface. Randy: Bright combines a number of interesting elements to create The Last Second, but it's primarily a science-fiction/super-hero book. His hero is the everyman type, a guy who was just one day away from his first day as a rookie cop when something struck him and changed his life forever. I thought that Bright did a really nice job of conveying the weirdness of all this for our protagonist, Trace, while still moving along and letting the character adapt fast enough that his naivete didn't become a burden on the pacing. Don: The book's greatest strength is how much personality is to be found in it. Trace's silly reactions to the insanity around him (from paranoid drug dealers to his new alien allies) are a treat to read, but even more fun are the exchanges among L-9, Roddy and Artie, the goofy-looking but clever and skilled trio that descends from the stars to swoop Trace away to adventure. Randy: I expected nothing but greatness from the artwork, and Bright delivers here, as he always does. His work on the robots is a particularly nice piece of design, giving them distinctive appearances and readable expressions even as he makes them fairly inhuman. I'm impressed that he can so believably convey realistic settings like an apartment building, a subway tunnel or a hospital as easily as he can the outlandish settings of space stations and starships. His action sequences are also top-notch, with my favorite being a bit of power manipulation that creates a waterspout, a sequence that surrounds a dogfight between two starships. Don: I saw something new in Bright's black-and-white art for this book. His stuff here is cleaner than I remember it being before. At times, his panel layouts and the characters' expressions put me in mind of Steve (Preacher) Dillon's work. There's a clear influence at work here. There's a great sense of focus to Bright's art. This project is obviously something for which he has a great deal of passion, and that shines through in the final product. Randy: Though he is best known for his art, Bright has done some writing before, notably on Milestone's Icon, where he lived up to the high expectations regular writer Dwayne McDuffie had set for the title. His writing here has its problems, but it also definitely has its strengths. I enjoyed the characterization of the robots and of Trace quite a bit, and I was impressed by how Bright manages to move the story along pretty quickly with only two issues so far. On the other hand, I did feel that the pacing was sometimes off, as Trace adapts a little too quickly to the vagaries of his new power, and the relationship between the Coterie and their opposition isn't clear beyond the very vague good guy-bad guy dynamic. While I'm enjoying the almost pulp era style action and adventure, I do wish Bright would slow down a little and let us catch our breath and learn a little more at the same time. Don: I don't agree. I loved the script and saw no real problems. The computer lettering keeps the various voices clear and easy to follow, and I found the pacing to work quite well. I was particularly impressed with Bright's explanation for faster-than-light space travel. Usually, we see some Trek-esque warp drive thrown in, but the explanation of "shafting" struck me as novel and unique. Priest, when commenting on his work on Quantum & Woody, used to repeatedly remark that Bright was the funny one in their collaborative efforts. I never really believed him. I do now (not that Priest can't make with the yuks himself). This is a funny, funny book, and that sense of humor left me hungry for more of The Last Second. Why Bright isn't working for any of the industry's major publishers right now eludes me. Randy: It'a mystery to me as well. While The Last Second is a bit rough in the technology department (jpeg images rather than a PDF or something snazzier), the production of the actual comic is anything but. I would encourage anyone with an interest in science-fiction comics to take a look at The Last Second, a digital project that outshines a fair number of comics being done in print these days. Email Randy and Don comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board. For more information about Last Second or full-page previews, visit http://www.mdbright.com.