This self-contained issue stands out as my favorite issue of the series to date, and it's thanks to a clever script that's both funny and thoroughly human at its core despite the crude nature of the story's protagonist. This issue also marks a significant shift in the plotting. This isn't about a regular joe finding the plot device and using it to make his own wishes come true. It's about being different, and how it can be a blessing and something of a curse all at once. Some charming artwork and an inventive, achronological storytelling approach are the icing on the cake.
Fifty thousand years ago, in a frozen wasteland that would one day be known as European soil, a daydreaming and expressive Neanderthal, shunned by his brethren, is struck out of the blue... not by an idea, but literally by a glowing object from the sky. He examines the small dial, and accidentally, he activates it, imbuing himself with remarkable powers. He can fly and is stronger than any other in his tribe -- or anyone from any other tribe, for that matter. He instantly is hailed is a great warrior, but before long, he realizes that a life of adolation isn't what he's looking for.
Kano's work here reminds me of the styles of Paul (Leave It to Chance) Smith and Tintin creator Herge. The simplicity of the facial designs make the character's instantly likable or amusing, but Kano still brings detail to the settings and circumstances of the story. The vision of an approaching mammoth carries with it an appropriate tone of power and menace, and that in turn enables the reader to grasp the level of power that the main character possesses. The colors are also particularly impressive. I love how the H-Dial burns in the midst of muted colors. I love how Mettler shifts the dominant color scheme from scene to scene as well. It keeps the story moving along nicely.
The interludes in the late 1890s and early 1900s tickled my brain. One could argue that these men of science are blind to the obvious answers before them, but it's a trick of the genre. Since the reader understands what's going on and is aware of the notion of the super-hero, s/he thinks the so-called educated men should be able to solve the mysteries before them. Realistically, though, it's not a logical course of deduction. Mind you, it is fun to see a Neanderthal so perplex such haughty men of letters.
What's really touching about this story, though, is the spirit the supposedly crude protagonist exhibits. His powers eventually isolate him, and the writer and artist successfully convey a certain sadness about the character. But ultimately, it's a sense of hope and learning that overcomes that sadness. Notions that we take for granted -- and some we don't -- are all new to this unlikely hero, and to see him revel in discovery and his own passion for art makes for a powerful story.
