Review: Strange Nation #4
For anyone out there who has followed my creator-owned comics reviews from the beginning, Strange Nation must seem like something of a dream team. It’s written by Paul Allor, a writer I’ve spent quite some time over the past couple of years acclaiming, with my gushing reviews for Clockwork and Orc Girl making it abundantly clear I saw him as a rising creator destined for big things. It’s drawn by Juan Romera, an artist who I’ve expressed similar admiration of. He caught my attention with anthology shorts in the likes of Tall Tales from the Badlands and the aforementioned Clockwork, and floored me with the visuals he brought to Fall with writer Fabian Rangel Jr. It’s published by MonkeyBrain, the breakout comic company of 2013 for me, a publisher whose output I’ve been uniformly singing the praises of for months now. All these enticing elements weaved together to tell a story of conspiracy theories and the weirdness lurking under the surface of American culture, with the first issue making a statement that all involved were raising their game and giving us something special.
So I think it’s something of a shame that Strange Nation hasn’t received more acclaim. Those who’ve read it have loved it, but it doesn’t seem to be up there with MonkeyBrain’s most publicized titles. It could be because, for the first three issues at least, Allor was keeping his narrative cards held quite closely to his chest. Interesting things were going on and engaging characters were being introduced, but we weren’t quite getting a peek at how it all connected together, with Allor seemingly content to go slow-and-steady with how the strange goings-on started to unfold. But then we had that highly memorable shocker of a closing page in issue #3, and here with issue #4 we jump into high-gear. Almost immediately, it’s madness: rioting Sasquatches, UFOS, Elvis mounting a daring rescue mission. And we get a fuller picture of the larger narrative at work here, with the exposure of a big secret lying at the heart of America’s corridors of power, the ultimate conspiracy story for our journalist hero Norma to pursue.
I worried a bit that, with the first issue, the most compelling character was human/primate hybrid Joe, who . SPOILER ALERT . died at the end. That first chapter worked as a poignant standalone portrait of a life not lived, the kind of thing we know Allor can excel at. But in subsequent issues, Allor has skillfully fleshed out the recurring ensemble, to the point where we have a rich cast of characters with their own distinct personalities and nuances. There isn’t as much deft characterization here as the previous issue, which believably depicted Norma’s strained relationship with her parents, her mother in particular. This issue by necessity is much more plot driven. But the kindly recluse/alien Dr. Milo was still a refreshingly complex standout.
Romera, as always, excels. He’s someone who with simple lines can portray a deceptive depth of emotion, a skill that has served him well in the past, and which makes him an ideal partner for Allor’s economic storytelling. Here, he gets the chance to play more broadly comedic, absurdist notes than he might often get to do, and seems to relish the chance to go wacky. Some of the reaction shots to a herd of Sasquatches kicking in postboxes are just cracking! And the bright, flat color scheme gives everything a vibrant, fun feel, so even when things are ominous there’s a breezy, romp-like aesthetic at work.
As is to be expected with MonkeyBrain, the backmatter is a delight. There’s an enthusiastic letters page, followed by Ryan Lindsay’s recurring column on the cultural impact of the strange phenomena explored in the series, always an engaging read packed with fun trivia. Then we have a gallery of pinups from artists new and established. An extra treat for this 4th issue is the original script for issue #1, presented in its entirety. MonkeyBrain really know how to put the boat out with these ComiXology packages, perhaps better than any other publisher when it comes to value for money.
Strange Nation is a comic most worthy of your attention. It boasts a quality pedigree of talent involved, and an intriguing story that unveils new layers with each passing chapter. Most definitely a series you should be catching up on!
***
Writer: Paul Allor
Artist: Juan Romera
Editor: Rob Anderson
Logo Design: Tim Daniel
Publisher: MonkeyBrain Comics
Price: $0.99
Synopsis: Sasquatch Civil War! Alien Invasion! Massive Amounts of Exposition! Norma discovers the startling truth about the Duma Corporation’s plans, and Jesse mounts a rescue mission in the tiny town of Sydsville.
Strange Nation #4 (as well as the rest of the series) is available to buy from ComiXology.
Related Posts:
Category: Comics, The Creator-Owned Zone
