Review: Collapser #3

Â By: Shawn Warner
Mikey Way and Shaun Simon really get down to business in this issue. Collapser came out of the gate strong and each issue has upped the ante, now that we are at the halfway point in the narrative we have a better understanding of who Liam James is as a person. The writing is very strong, perhaps the strongest its been thus far, particularly in the exploration of the backstory as it relates to the actual black hole. Way and Simon use personification as more than a literary device to delve into the history of the black hole, presented here as Mr. Edgar.Â While the issue is necessarily exposition heavy it is no less entertaining and vivaciously paced. The opening dialogue between Liam and Mr. Edgar does most of the heavy lifting in explaining the manifestation of the black hole in Liam’s family history and ultimately in his body. Far from being over burdened with superfluous information this opening scene sets the tone for an issue that has several very sharp comedic beats, not to mention that Mr. Edgar is one heck of a fun character.

Liam isn’t the only character to get a developmental shot in the arm in this issue. We learn a great deal about the series antagonist knownÂ only as the “Skeleton Man” or the “Man in the Balloon” before this issue. We now know his name is Baron Throe and he has a long and significant history with Liam’s father, most notably where the black hole is concerned. Their story is perhaps the most intriguing as it sheds substantial light on the nature of the black hole while also providing major elements to Throe’s backstory, as well as further defining Liam’s character.

The supporting cast gets some attention in this issue as well in the persons of Tripp and Joss. Both of these characters play pivotal roles in Liam’s story, however the game changer in this issue would have to be Liam’s high powered manager/agent, Vanessa Volt. She comes on with all the subtlety of a full scale tornado, stroking Liam’s ego while maneuvering herself into a position of even more power. Of course we don’t know very much more about her at this point, but she is extremely charismatic and a very strong female force to be reckoned with. The complexity of all the characters in this story is what makes them so intriguing. Way and Simon have created a world full of huge personalities and so far are doing a tremendous job of telling an engrossing, dynamic story with them, without filling it with tired tropes and overused plot devices. Collapser is nothing if not unique, contextually as well as visually.

The thrust of this issue is the cathartic events that move Liam into the next phase of his journey. Certainly it could be said that he has become far less likable, I believe this is a fairly obvious statement of the effects of fame. Way is in a rather unique position to comment on fame with his stint as bass player in the phenomenally successful band, My Chemical Romance. The changes that Liam undergoes due to his new found fame could certainly prove detrimental to him as his career as a DJ and his role as host to an incredibly powerful force of nature are thrown into direct conflict going forward. We see him go from a caring, selfless person to something of an ego maniac in a relatively short span of time. While the changes are in direct opposition to Liam’s true self this makes it all the more poignant and makes him all the susceptible to Baron Throe’s sinister machinations.

Visually this issue is stunning. The creative team is firing on all cylinders and it shows on every single page. Ilias Kyriazis’ page layouts are absolutely mind blowing, I mean each page is more intricately detailed than the last. There is so much going on I had to go back after reading the story just so I could treat myself to some more of this sweet sweet eye candy. As if the tremendous job of staging and visualizing the narrative weren’t stellar enough, colorist Cris Peter’s brilliant use of tints, tones and hues adds an ever deeper dimension to the entire work. Her variation in the choice of colors from scene to scene goes to great length in defining each individual setting. Overall this is one of the most gorgeous books on the racks this week and there was no shortage of fantastic books out this NCBD.

This was my favorite issue thus far in a series I feel is one of the best Young Animal has put out. Anyone who knows me will tell you that’s some high praise because Doom Patrol is a book I just can’t say enough good things about and that is also a Young Animal title. So if you haven’t been reading Collapser, suffice to say you are missing out on one of the best books currently out there. 4/5

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Writers- Mikey Way and Shaun Simon
Artist- Ilias Kyriazis
Colors- Cris Peter
Letterer- Simon Bowland