Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Plutona #1
Image Comics
Lemire, Lenox & Bellaire
Jeff Lemire's latest launch is a story about a bunch of kids that stumble into a murder mystery. The comic book focuses on establishing the four characters and revealing the mystery. The comic is fairly ordinary and teases a bigger story. However, as far as first issues go "Plutona" is an average first issue offering. If you are fans of the creators then you in for the long haul, but I'm not sure the casual reader will find a ton in here to hook them. This is worth watching.
Lemire constructs the comic by giving each of the four main characters a page of introduction and then slowly brings them together. First they form up in pairs and then the pairs form a foursome. He manages to give each of the characters some personality and provides them with enough uniqueness that they stand apart from each other. However, they read as characters that are too familiar with stories involving kids.
There's a neglected rough kid with an alcoholic dad. There is a fat girl trying to fit in. There is a nerdy boy that gets teased. There is a girl that is forced to watch over her little brother and walks the line between rebel and nerd. The characters are charming but very standard.
The book eventually launches the mystery. While out looking for super heroes in the skies the group manages to walk into a corpse of a super hero and basically into a murder mystery. The comic ends with the Jeff Lemire drawn introduction of the deceased cape.
The book is a fine read. It is certainly not a memorable first issue and it is nowhere near as creative or engaging as so many of Lemire's other initial offerings, such as Trillium or Sweet Tooth. However, Lemire knows how to work a story and he lays everything out in a way that the reader gets pulled into the story. The question is whether or not they get hooked.
The artwork is good. The pencils by Lenox retain the style that Lemire is known for but loses the elongated faces and wiry look that the characters tend to have when Lemire is the artist. Because the styles have a similar look, the backup and the main story do have some cohesion, which is a good thing. The visuals tell a very solid story.
"Plutona" is a decent read. Lemire introduces the four characters, gives them unique voices and launches the murder mystery plot. The comic is backed up with very solid artwork. However, the comic is fairly ordinary by Lemire standards and doesn't do anything to set this comic apart from so many other "real life super hero" stories. This is one to check out and keep an eye on. I mildly recommend this comic book.
3 out of 5 Geek Goggles
