Fans of AMC’s The Walking Dead may have been a little underwhelmed by the latest season (lots of telling, not enough showing) but Robert Kirkman’s fans certainly believe it’s the fault of the interpretation, not the source material.
So die-hard fans and casual viewers alike should be happy with Kirkman’s newest series due out this March: Oblivion Song. It’s got all the post-apocalyptic drama of The Walking Dead, with a sci-fi twist and a lot more of the “showing instead of telling.” (It’s light on the words, is what I’m saying.)
Click the jump for a spoiler-free review of Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment’s Oblivion Song #1.
Regarding the art, if you ever loved Jeff Smith’s work on Bone, you’ll really like this. I noticed it first in the eyes (both Smith and Lorenzo De Felici like a well-defined, open pupil for maximum expressiveness) but there’s something familiar about the gestures, and movement, and expressions. It’s a light touch on the lines, but you never have any doubt as to what’s going on. The battle scenes are action-packed, but the quiet moments have a lot of subtle weight to them. You don’t need any dialog to know what’s going on.
As for the story, by the end of the first issue we only know that something horrible happened ten years ago that dragged a lot of people…somewhere else. Rescue efforts were made, some people made it out, but after a while it was easier for the Powers That Be to declare anyone who didn’t make it back were One Of Those Things You Just Have to Accept.
Our main character couldn’t let go of One Of Those Things, and he didn’t feel inclined to Just Accept it.
The realistic nature of the story really got to me: The idea that when something horrible happens we fight against it up until the point where we feel defeated. Or tired. Or broke. Or bored.
I’m really looking forward to the rest of the story. The cynical side of me knows that when you hang your whole reason for being on one person, they rarely end up being worth it. But the hopeful side of me is waiting for a chance to show The Powers That Be that it doesn’t matter how much funding and media support you withhold, sometimes you can win on sheer, insane, obsessive stubbornness alone.
Oblivion Song #1 will be released by Image Comics on March 7.