Review: Giga #3

Religion and its impact on individuals and society becomes more of a focus in this third issue of Vault Comics Giga, as Ethan’s quest seems to lead squarely to him. On a personal level, how many more losses can Ethan face?

This issue sees Ethan debunk the ongoing theory behind the Giga’s death. Unfortunately, this puts him square in the frame. or does it? With a witness account that differs widely from the evidence, Ethan now must go further to prove his innocence, But at what cost?

Alex Paknadel continues to impress with this book; with his body of work to date, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. With Giga #3, the setup and world building is done. Now is the time that the tables are turning. For Ethan though, the societal impact for him has taken his legs, his best friend and his sister/daughter. Throw in the death of the Giga which further clouds his own thoughts on their existence and the societal reliance on them and you can see how alone Ethan may feel. Paknadel doesn’t allow the melancholy of life to destroy Ethan; instead a strength of character shines through. There is a “previously on” element in play in order to cement certain ideas that adds resonance to both this issue and previous issues. Great dialogue marries well with excellent pacing, giving the reader a story that requires attention.

The art is supplied by John Le once again. Previously, I have described his work as Monty Python-esque surrealism; that vibe continues here. Le also delivers a world that is lived-in, grimy but not in aBlade Runner kind of way. There is a brightness in places which works well with the idea the religion and belief in such can deliver a brighter place. Of course there is a darker undercurrent in every world and Le doesn’t shy away from that in any way. Colors are provided by Rosch whose colors are bold, which possibly gives the book a too digital feel in places. Finally, letterer Aditya Bidikar delivers he usual excellent job. Here, Bidikar gets to play with different fonts in places.

With the grand ideas on religion and its place in this worlds society, and the complexities that involves, this book may be better suited to being read in trade form rather than single issues. This is by no means a sleight on any of the creators involved; Paknadel and crew have created a story that has impact on different levels. Of course, part of this idea of a trade could be seen as purely selfish as after this issue, I wanted to read more.

Writing – 5 Stars

Art – 5 Stars

Colors – 5 Stars

Overall – 5 Stars

Written by; Alex Paknadel
Art by; John Le
Colors by; Rosch
Letters by; Aditya Bidikar
Published by; Vault Comics

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network