MUTIES #1 (Best of the Week!)
"The Changeling"
Highly Recommended (10/10)
|
Marvel Comics
Writer: Karl Bollers
Layouts: Salgood Sam
Painted art: Peter Ferguson
Letters: Paul Tutrone
Editor: Mark Powers
Price: $2.50 US/$4.00 CAN |
Pay no heed to the title of this limited series. This isn't really about mutants, super-powers, heroes or villains. Though set in the fantastic world of the Marvel Universe, Bollers's story is about the real world. Though the events of Sept.11 may have blinded us to other forms of violence with which America must contend, Bollers delivers a powerful and emotional reminder.
Jared is a lot like any number of teenagers you may know. He's bookish, shy, intelligent and small compared to other kids his age. The jocks pick on him, and his father disregards him at best and abuses him at worst. Jared feels isolated and different from everyone, and in a world that hates those that are different -- like mutants -- it's not a comfortable feeling. One day he finds a way to get the jocks off his back, but he uncovers a secret that tears his whole world apart.
The greatest strength of Bollers's contribution to this book is the narration. Presented in Jared's voice, it's genuine and haunting. Jared's pain is poured out onto the page in those small narrative captions. It's easy to relate to Jared, regardless of one's high-school experiences.
The script may be powerful and well written, but the art easily stands out as this book's strongest selling point. The painted art is stunning, and the use of such a non-conventional visual style for a comic book helped to reinforce the relevance of the subject matter. Ferguson's rich artwork brings a realism that suits the story quite well, but at the same time, there's a hazy, dream-like quality that captures his sense of disconnected sadness.
Another visual strength of the piece is Tutrone's lettering. Though it's not necessarily unconventional, he does create the impression that we're reading Jared's diary, his innermost thoughts. The sound effects and exclamations are presented more subtly than one normally sees in mainstream comics, so they don't intrude on the unusual tone of the book.
It's a pleasure to see Marvel tackling controversial subject matter in their books, especially when others are shying away from it. Here, Bollers doesn't try to excuse extreme behavior, but he does explain it and make it easier to understand. The world seems to have only awakened to ever-present problems in high-school life, only to have seemingly forgotten about it all too quickly, moving onto the next soundbite.
Email Don MacPherson comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.
|
