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POUNDED #2
(Best of the Week!)
Highly Recommended (10/10)
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Oni Press
Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Steve Rolston
Editor: James Lucas Jones
Price: $2.95 US |
There's only one thing sweeter than a new series that just blows in and is every bit as good as I expected it to be, and that's when a second issue lives up to the same standard a first issue set. Case in point: Pounded #2. The first issue was a great introduction to the characters, an ideal mix of humor and strong characterization, and this issue has the same mix of humor and very believable characterization as well as some nice fallout from the ending of the issue. Separately, Wood and Rolston have both impressed me, but together on Pounded, they've blown me away.
Heavy Parker, the protagonist of Pounded, really is something of a jerk, but he
has a quality to him that makes him sympathetic. I don't know if it's just the
sense that he's too dumb to know that he's doing something wrong or just the
extent of revenge that Missy and her friends wreak on him this issue, but Wood
and Rolston actually made me feel sorry for him despite how much he deserved it.
It's not easy to write someone who isn't easily likable while still making them
interesting, but Wood has really created a fascinating protagonist in the
selfish and somewhat stupid Heavy.
Visually, the book just drew
me in. One glimpse at that first page, a shot of Vancouver with a curious sound
effect going on, had me wanting to turn the pages and find out what was going
on, and it really set the stage for the issue. The opening also has nice
resonance, as the idea of Heavy being the center of attention, even amidst the
entirety of Vancouver, plays nicely into the lead character's thoughts.
In the previous issue, Heavy
really got away with everything. This issue we start to see some things really
back up on him, notably the interview gone horribly wrong and of course the
destruction of his party. Wood drives the first one home with some heartfelt and
realistic dialogue from the reporter, and Rolston brings the latter to life with
scenes of utter debauchery and destruction. Anyone who has their own home or
apartment will cringe at the thought of someone doing this to their place, and
whether you empathize with Heavy regularly or not, it'll be hard not to feel for
him in the wake of the destructive spree through his place.
Comedy isn't easy, but what's even harder is blending comedy with characterization that isn't over-the-top for comic effect. Heavy may be dumb and selfish, but he's believably so, and it's not a stretch to imagine someone out there like him. The hurt that Missy feels, and the anger she directs at Heavy as a result, is almost painfully real, even as the extent of her revenge is hilarious. Pounded
is a book that is a lot of fun to read because of beautiful artwork and plenty
of humor, but what makes it a great book is the realistic characterization
behind all of that.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board. |
