While Skinwalker did a great job of showing a story from two points-of-view, it also had a pretty unusual concept, so I didn't notice the narrative device as much as I otherwise might have. While Three Strikes also has a neat concept, it's easier to wrap my head around, so I'm noticing the strong narrative voices of the two protagonists more, and I love it. DeFilippis and Weir do a terrific job of showing how people get wrapped up in their own problems and personalities and how what's going on with others doesn't even enter into it, and in so doing they create two flawed but very likable lead characters. There's also a terrific unpredictability about the story, because with two leads so at odds, there's no telling who will "win" in the end, or if either of them will.
What I love about this issue is the parallels between the characters, despite their various differences. Both Rey Quintana and Noah Conway are having tremendously bad days as a result of scheduling problems and mistakes throughout their lives, and both of them have a supporting character riding shotgun who is causing more problems than they're solving. It's interesting that they are both trapped in lives that don't live up to their expectations, and I especially love that the older and more experienced Conway just has no interest in hearing Quintana's side of the story; one gets the impression that he wouldn't care if he can relate, that it just doesn't enter his worldview anymore.
There's really a great duality about this whole issue, and not just because of the two protagonists on separate but intertwining storylines. Very often, we're getting from the characters dialogue that doesn't reflect their true thoughts, and I found that to be both a very genuine touch and a very interesting one. I think a lot of us have an inner sarcastic voice that has very little use for the excuses and failures of others, or how they see us, and we get to see that reaction from both Rey and Noah as they make their way through the events of this issue.
Also on the release docket from DeFilippis and Weir this week is New Mutants, but Three Strikes has the edge, due in no small part to the artwork. Brian Hurtt does a fantastic job of setting this in the real world, with nice attention to detail on clothes, buildings, cars and other background aspects of modern life. He also has a strong command of facial expressions, such that Rey Quintana wears a constant worried look, and Noah Conway a constant weary look, but each is capable of subtle changes as well.
I honestly don't know who to root for and who to root against in this series, and I find that to be an intriguing element to the story. While the focus of the story is fairly personal, determining the direction of the life for a couple of people, it feels bigger, as we see how small events can set off a chain of bigger ones, and we get a sense of both the desperation and the weariness that comes from having to live with the consequences of bad choices.
