Review: Oblivion Song #1

As The Walking Dead continues its meandering wanderings across a zombie infested America, practically standing so still, it could be called The Stood Still Dead, writer and co-creator Robert Kirkman launches another book about a desolated community and people trying to survive and forge out a life; although there is a certain interloper who is on a bit of a mission of his own.

A decade ago, a decade too late for today’s New England Patriots fans, 300,000 people of Philadelphia disappeared, proving once and forÂ all that there is nothing sunny there!Â Despite spending years of looking for survivors, the US Government is ready to give up it search.Â After all, coming from an alternative universeÂ is probably listed a huge red flag on the whole immigration fiasco seen in the States a few months back.Â Still, whilst there is breath, there is still hope and for one man, Nathan Cole, there isÂ a personal reason for his daily sojournÂ in the Oblivion.Â But who and more importantly is he bringing back?

Kirkman’s writing could always be described as universe building, or destroying dependant on your point of view.Â The success of The Walking Dead which has been around for 15 years, shows that he has the ability to channel the most basic of human imperatives; survive. His writing is also centred on loss, whether its loss of belief, loss of innocence loss of a loved one or the loss of a whole community and the characters place in it.Â Putting the two togetherÂ and you get the greatest angst provider in writing, surviving loss.Â Going as far back to Crime Alley, how a person survives their own personal loss defines them.Â Here, in Oblivion Song, Nathan Cole’s loss is possibly blinding him to the risks of his choices, such is his self-induced focus, a mind-set so focussed that he fails to think about how his action impact those on the other side.Â Kirkman’s other strength is the dialogue.Â Regardless how “out there” the situation, his characters have a depth of realism about them.

The art is provided by Lorenzo De Felici, who gives the complex story a cartoony style that seems popular at the moment.Â It a great way to contrast the seriousness and the ambiguity of some key plot points.Â De Felici’s work has a charm and pace about, whether is the obliterated Philadelphia or the gruesome beasty that semi patrols it.Â TheÂ denizens have a scruffy yet vibrant look to them and an energy that suits the more simplistic art.Â Even during the changes of environment to the stuffy offices of the local power base, theÂ Â art still manages to get the emotional messages across in an overly exaggerated style.Â To go with the art, colourist, Annalisa Leoni gives the book a couple of different looks.Â Firstly, there is Oblivion itself, with a yellowy brown base giving the intimation of a desert or should that be deserted world, before we are greeted with the long shadows’ which serves toÂ visualise the murkiness of politics.

Oblivion Song offers Kirkman fans a chance to start something new, just in case they are getting a little worn out by the constant “everyone versus us” element of The Dead, with a book that hides it complexity behind a veil of a cartoon style art.

Writing – 5 Stars
Art -Â 5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Written by; Robert Kirkman
Art by Lorenzo De Felici
Colors by; Annalisa Leoni
Published by; Image Comics

In Shops: Mar 07, 2018
JAN180587

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