REVIEW: The Bigger Bang #2

Story: D.J. Kirkbride (@DJKirkbride)
Art: Vassilis Gogtzilas
Letters: Frank Cvetkovic(@GoFrankGo)
Colors: Vassilas Gogtzilas
Publisher: IDW Publishing (@IDWPublishing)
Release Date: December 17, 2014

For a god to be born, many things must die. That’s the basic idea behind The Bigger Bang and its lonesome all-powerful main character, Cosmos, aka The Destroyer. In order to atone for the sin of his birth, Cosmos has exiled himself to another universe, one inhabited by all manner of daft creatures.

This issue opens with tabloid-like blurbs, chronicling news from the galactic kingdom, Cosmos’ recent exploits and King Thulu’s planned response to the intruding pseudo-deity. As with most men (or entities) suited to a particular status quo, the lunatic King dispatches his military forces to persuade Cosmos into finding another star system of residence.

While the first issue was almost universally well received, if chided for not rounding out Cosmos enough, this issue picks up the slack and let’s us delve deeper into his morose motivations. Using an almost novel technique, the omniscient third person narrator, to great affect.

The style was a mainstay of books during the Golden, Silver and into the Bronze Age, but has been conspicuously absent as of late, due mostly to the ease with which it can seem overdone.

Here though, Kirkbride mixes the contemporary with the old school and has crafted a story that evolves in stages without ever leaving the audience too far out of the information loop.

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The artwork, to be quite honest, is a bit of an acquired taste. I’ve no doubt that seen from the other end of comic book history, it will warrant classic status, but for the present will dissuade some from enjoying the book fully.

The sketchy, impressionist quality of the panels and the muted color palette are, to me at least, excellent approaches to what is right now a developing story focused on a character’s hazy view of himself.

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It may not fit with the narrative to have Cosmos confidently drawn with bold lines and zingy colors when he is still working out his own personal ethos and trying to come to terms with his incredible and devastating powers.

So, in sum, The Bigger Bang is a lofty undertaking that may not suit the appetites of everyone, but give it a try anyway. You just might like it.

By: A.C.

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Adam Cadmon

Adam Cadmon is the pen name for a man who has been writing for a few years. Heâ€™s done his share of straight-laced writing, college press, blogging, some other not very glamorous technical writing to keep the bills paid. Itadakimasu.