This stands out as the best issue of Supernatural Law I've read to date, as it tells a fun, if offbeat, love story that delves into the conflicting notions of what society tells us is attractive and the undervalued nature of intellectual and emotional compatibility. The focus here isn't on Wolff and Byrd, counsellors of the macabre, as is usually the case, but instead, it's on a client who offers the chance to revisit science and romance comic-book storytelling from decades ago.
Prof. Murray Simak has dedicated himself to researching spatial physics, and he's made a stunning breakthrough. He's managed to make contact with a colleague from another dimension... and a shapely colleague at that. Unfortuantely for Murray, the corporation for which he works has decided his activities aren't profitable, and they try to pull the plug. That's when he calls in lawyers Alanna Wolf and Jeff Byrd to sue his employer. Meanwhile, an old flame comes to visit Alanna, and he's got some surprisingly news.
Lash's light, retro style is as strong as ever here... perhaps even stronger than usual. The art doesn't seem to boast the same kind of cramped look that it has in past issues, but he still provides plenty of detail into the panels. I was particularly impressed with the inclusion of not only one, but two additional and remarkably distinctive visual styles in this story. The clean Frank Cho images of Murray's other-dimensional friend are striking against Lash's looser style, and Wolverton's underground, extreme depiction of the parallel dimension was a delightful shift that worked well in the context of the story.
Early on in this issue, the characters make reference to events from the Mavis limited series and other subplots that just don't contribute to this issue. It makes for an inaccessible quality for new readers, and it distracts from the main plotlines of this episode.
Though Murray is something of a one-dimensional character -- he's always in cranky mode -- it's rather easy to relate to him. He may be brilliant, but he's insecure and rather dim when it comes to dealing with people as opposed to machines and equations. His quickness to jump to conclusions and his desperation to maintain contact with Marga humanizes the crotchety figure, and one can't help but cheer him on despite his foul attitude. Ultimately, this is a fun story that pays tribute to romance comics and EC books like Weird Science, but it doesn't require the reader to pick up on the reference in order to enjoy the book.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
