8.10.11 Review

The Red Wing #2 (Image): Some of the early criticisms leveled at Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra’s new project have been answered in this second issue. Namely, who the TAC (Temporal Assault Craft) squadrons are fighting, and perhaps why. Like all of Hickman’s creator owned works, The Red Wing is a visually impressive, highly imaginative, and thought-provoking adventure. It’s easy to see why Marvel scooped Hickman up as one of their “big idea” men. Pitarra’s art seems even stronger than the first issue. While the content is certainly informed by George Lucas and some other assorted pop culture nods, the style itself seems to be equally influenced by artists like Frank Quitely and George Perez, with a lean, hyper-detailed aesthetic I think most people enjoy. The “twist” ending (which I won’t spoil) is perhaps one that you could see coming considering the book’s time travel dependency, but the journey is pretty rousing. The text pages function as sort of expository Hickman hallmarks, but they’re so interesting, you hardly notice. I feel like Jonathan Hickman may be the new Warren Ellis to some degree, because of the way he plays with our perceptions of the world. I like his notion of time as a construct being stacks of concurrent happenings, all while man is basically wired to think of it in more linear terms. Grade A.