It's funny, all the quotes and even the synopsis on the back of this book focus on the organization, the plot and theme of this graphic novel, but what struck me was the character. The best stories for me are driven more by compelling characters than just neat ideas, and while Subatomic certainly has no shortage of the latter, it's really a story about one man trying to get away from the life that has been laid out for him without his choice. In the mix of themes in this graphic novel are the notions of governmental authority, privacy issues and other interesting post-9-11 fodder, but the central story is about freedom of choice, which plays into those themes but is also something that any of us can relate to, even if we aren't secret agents raise from birth by a highly secret black ops agency.
Subatomic is divided into five chapters, each one representing a different season (one of them gets repeated) in the character's life and each season representing the general tone of the chapter. The story follows a young man who was groomed from a young age to be a spy for a secret organization, but who wants nothing more than to have an ordinary life. What's interesting to me about this is that while this general type of story has been told before, it does run counter to the wish-fulfillment notions of fiction in some ways; most of us would rather live the exciting life of a spy than the hand-to-mouth existence of a farm worker. But because the lead character is so earnest, and Neighly and Heufemann do such a great job of showing how much he enjoys normal, safe, routine life and dreads going back to his old job, it's easy to sympathize with him. Especially since they couch it in terms of being able to choose your own path, something that just about anyone can relate to.
Though Subatomic definitely resonates within a world affected by real events, notably the tightening of security and shrinking of personal freedom in the post-9-11 age, the central concept of the book is based on a fictional superspy agency that would feel more at home with Alias's SD-6 or Marvel's SHIELD than the CIA. I love the idea of an organization where there are no retired spies, no recruits with predetermined values, but just groups of kids basically raised by the intelligence organization. The lead character's resistance to his chosen job could almost be taken as a nature vs. nurture argument, even as its a commentary on the notion of choosing your own fate.
This is one story, definitely best suited to the graphic novel format, but I also enjoyed how the creators introduce new settings and supporting casts in each chapter. The believable, human, normal lives that Mark surrounds himself with are a big part of what makes his quest to find a normal existence so effective for the reader. The lives he interacts with aren't perfect, but the characters are real, and generally nice, and it's easy to see Mark's normal existence as enviable. And despite the normal life that Mark seeks out, he doesn't quite get it, which leads to some harrowing and suspenseful chase sequences and action scenes.
Also notable about Subatomic is the artwork, by Jorge Heufemann and Anna Marie Horne. Heufemann's style is gritty and real, the kind of thing that wouldn't be at all out of place at Vertigo, and I'm reminded of detail oriented artists like Eric Shanower. A variety of settings, from Kansas to Washington to New York to a secret flying headquarters, are brought to life thanks to Heufemann's work, and he deserves as much credit as Neighly in terms of making the characters so believable. The creators have also taken the unusual step of producing their first graphic novel in full color, and Horne's colors are terrific, comparable to the work of Lee Loughridge or Matt Hollingsworth.
Subatomic is a strong offering from a bunch of talented new creators, and it features a compelling character-based story that doesn't skimp on the cool ideas. Fans of Alias, The Bourne Identity or The Fugitive should definitely check this one out.
