Thirteen Minutes focused on weekly reviews of Creator-Owned Comics from 2005 to 2015. Critic @ Poopsheet Foundation 2009-2014. Critic @ Comics Bulletin 2013-2016. Freelance Writer/Editor @ DC/Vertigo, Stela, Madefire, Dark Horse, Boom! Studios, and Studio 12-7 2012-Present. Follow @ThirteenMinutes
7.09.2013
The True Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys #2 [Make Some Noise!]
The True Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys #2 (Dark Horse):
It’s becoming increasingly clear with the Battery City newsfeed that the entire
population of the former LA Basin (revealed in the interesting backmatter for
those not already in the know) is being systematically brainwashed and stripped
of their individuality by Better Life Industries (BLI). Gerard Way and Shaun
Simon focus this issue on Killjoy Sharpshooter-cum-DJ Cherri Cola as he tries
to find and protect our young messiah protagonist near the ruins of The Nest.
During the last issue, The Nest kept visually reminding me of something that I
couldn’t quite put my finger on; I now think that it reminded me of the head of
Zauriel, an angelic Grant Morrison creation (in lieu of being able to use Hawkman)
during his old JLA run. Everyone knows antagonist Korse is based on Grant
Morrison, so now I guess there’s some sort of ouroboros
serpent-eating-it’s-own-tail thing happening. Anyway, I liked the mystery the
first issue laid out quite a lot, not insulting the audience with exposition,
simply world-building organically and letting the audience catch up and
interact in that tertiary way that comics as a medium does so well. I like this
issue even more; what it lacks in slightly obtuse mystery, it makes up for with
more accessible intrigue, as the narrative intent seems to snap sharply into
place and settle into a rich groove. There’s so much to like occurring in this
issue, from sex bots attempting to secure new batteries and encountering
nothing but the knotted bureaucracy keeping the populace in check, to Korse
being demoted for surprisingly twisty reasons, to Killjoy costumes enshrined in
a radio station that functions as the voice of the underground, to an uprising
about to pop off against Battery City from out in the desert. I said it last
time, but I’ll say it again. I believe this is THE art of Becky Cloonan’s
career unfolding before our eyes here. She just gets better and better with
each successive project. It’s so crisp and polished, capturing the pop
iconography style (thanks to vibrant colors from Dan Jackson), as well as
bristling with a dangerous energy lurking just below that taut surface. Her
variable line weights give characters just the right attitude, whether it’s
anemic frailty in the subtle emotional scenes, or a bold sense of power in the
more earnest and emphatic sequences. There’s such a robust sense of design to
her work, evident in the costumes, the cities, and the arid environments. “The
Cloonan Aesthetic” (if such a thing now exists) is about counterpoints. It is
thick and substantial, yet light and swift, moving effortlessly between those
poles at will, from mean close-ups you can’t escape, to people hidden in the
shadows and their own insecurities, she races the camera in and out at with
heart-pounding effect. At this point, there’s no doubt in my mind that The True
Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys will be cited as one of the year’s best books,
inhabiting that elusive position between mainstream appeal and indie
credibility. Grade A+.
Justin Giampaoli was an award-winning critic at Thirteen Minutes and Comics Bulletin for over a decade. As a writer, his work includes the self-published crime caper The Mercy Killing with artist Tim Goodyear, introductions and bonus content for New York Times Bestseller DMZ at DC/Vertigo, the alt-history epic Rome West and the sci-fi drama Starship Down, both with artist Andrea Mutti at Dark Horse. He recently edited the geo-political thriller California, Inc. with writer Arthur Ebuen and artist Dave Law at Studio 12-7, and was a panelist at San Diego Comic Con 2024. His unpublished work includes cyberpunk sci-fi classic RoboCop with artist Jorge Coehlo at Boom! Studios, and a modernization of Edgar Allan Poe detective fiction for comics and video games in The Murders in Ravenstown with artist Matthew Southworth at Madefire.
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