Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #2 of 6
Dynamite Comics
Ennis, Robertson & Avina
The second part of the origin story of Billy Butcher finds itself in very familiar territory for writer Garth Ennis: a war story. This issue sets Billy in the middle of the Falklands War as Ennis shows the basic roots of what makes the character so at ease with conflict in the present time. It's a solid read but it doesn't really break any boundaries and in some parts, particular the end, I found the story to actually detract from the character being built up in the mini-series and what the character is all about in the main series. Overall, it's a good read for the die-hard Boys fans but it really isn't giving up the big secrets yet.
Billy stands out among all of the other troops. He's the obvious leader, even if his rank doesn't specify him as one. He's also very comfortable with the thought of death and acceptable losses for the larger cause. The issue also reveals that Billy's grandfather was a World War II hero and some of those guts and stories took hold of a young Billy.
The issue is at its best as Billy outlines the plan for the men and walks through all the possibilities that lead to the decision of attack or nothing. Ennis shows once again his command of war in comic books. The drawback is that none of the other characters matter. They have names and roles but they never stand out and they just feel like red shirts from the very beginning so why care? The highlight is when Billy describes what his ultimate peace is as it shows just how messed up in the head the character actually is.
The issue falls apart towards the end as Billy makes his way home. Sure, as expected, he has trouble adjusting to regular life. And yes, it makes sense that he takes after his old man with the bullying. But he seems to lose some of his edge and toughness with some of the fights he gets into. This just doesn't make sense based on what we've seen so far over the 70+ issues of this series.
The artwork is a mixed bag. It ranges from very good, with the horrific war scenes, to the seemingly lazy close-ups of Billy. His facial expression rarely changes when the close-ups come into play and Billy actually appears younger in the end by several years, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It's nice to see Robertson back but I guess I was expecting more.
This mini-series is already starting to feel overly stretched out. This was the kind of issue that seems to be twice the length it needed to be. Granted, Garth Ennis doing war comics isn't really a bad thing but it just seems the story is taking too long to get to the good stuff. The comic book is a hefty read so you get your money's worth but there probably isn't much in here unless you just can't get enough of the character. I am hoping next issue brings something new to the character of Butcher in the form of solid pain.
3 out of 5 geek goggles
