So last week I happened to pick up two graphic novels which were bizarrely similar. This was completely by chance. Or was it?
Wherever you go, there you are: Rasl vol. 2 & Revolver
Despite the fact that I am scientifically handicapped in many ways, I enjoy thinking about theoretical physics. Someday I want to read books about string theory and Schrodinger’s cat. I did read Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and Nash’s paper on game theory. Didn’t understand much of it, but I do want to. This same fascination exists with parallel universes. Does every decision you make create a split where the different options play out? Is there different versions of you playing out these scenarios on an infinite number of Earths? It was just my luck that two new graphic novel’s I read this week scratched this itch.
Jeff Smith’s new series Rasl finally came out with his Vol. 2. It’s horribly frustrating that this series is being released in single copies quarterly. Due to the infrequency I just gave up and moved to trades. So it seems like forever since I read Vol. 1, but I vaguely remember the plot enough that I can continue to enjoy this series. Rasl centers on a former scientist turned art thief who jumps around parallel universes. He’s also being chased by a lizard and screwing around with various women.Unfortunately I am completely turned off by the amoral behavior of the main character. Issue 6 works very hard to make the case that Rasl is a hero. But it’s really too late. It’s very hard to root for a guy who screws everything on two legs and gambling away his art theft money. Meanwhile his girlfriend is waiting for him in a parallel universe under threat. Rasl doesn’t seem to care though.
Vol. 1 dealt with setting up this crazy premise so now in Vol. 2 Smith gets his geek on. Having made it to 6 issues Smith feels confident enough to experiment with non-linear storytelling. The best issue of the series is a mix of science history and flashback as the story of Nikola Tesla is put together with a flashback into Rasl’s past. Rasl, is becoming as lost as Billy Pilgrim in Slaughterhouse Five. He’s a man lost in time and space. Using non-linear storytelling, Smith puts the reader into the same confused state as the main character. This is complex work and wonderfully compelling in it’s execution. I just wish I could get more invested in the motivations of the main character.
I’ve already spoken here about my love of Matt Kindt. Oh yeah, also here. His latest OGN Revolver is another wonderful work to add to his canon. Revolver centers around a main character who finds himself bouncing between his normal banal existence and an apocalyptic parallel universe where he’s forced to kill and survive. He carries his memories and experiences into each world. This starts to wear on him as he realizes how materialistic and meaningless his normal world is compared to a world gone to hell. He struggles to find a purpose. This a natural reaction for someone in their mid-20s, whether their dealing with a world gone crazy or just “the mall.”
Kindt shows amazing skill regarding sequential art. He uses all the facets of the artistic medium to show the emotional journey of the main characters. His art style is rough on purpose, however his composition within the panel can be breathtaking. I was particularly impressed with a full page image where bodies are falling from skyscrapers above. This is clearly meant to bring back images from 9/11 which is echoed when we discover that this is an act of terrorism that pulls the world apart.
In an interesting twist the terrorist is not a religious fundamentalist, he’s a condescending moralist. This is a masterstroke. How often in our mid-20s do we question those who are supposedly moral superior? How often do they end up being wrong? In Revolver Kindt uses a unique premise to tell a story of self-discovery. It’s amazing that he still manages such an upbeat ending that is not sappy in the slightest. Don’t Miss This Book.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
