The cult of personality

This volume follows Tommy Taylor and the war of words (episodes 31-35 + 31.5 to 35.5), and it is highly advisable to have started the series by the first volume. This volume contains episodes 36-41, published in 2012, written by Mike Carey and Peter Gross, drawn and inked by Gross (with finishes of Rufus Dayglo for episode 36).

Episode 36 - Milton Junior Walzer (The Tinker, a proto superhero) is found among the bodies of the great battle of the stairs where Pauly Bruckner had led anthropomorphic animal stories for children (yes, remember in 'hilarious episode 24 in Volume 4 Leviathan). Or behold the stairway gives way under his feet, it dissolves and Walzer literally landed in the middle of a mass exodus of these people fleeing the Wave. After their passage, he picks up a hat from which it takes ... a course bunny! In this case, Pauly Bruckner is really not in the mood to mess around with a geriatric superhero.

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Episodes 37-40 - 1 year has passed since the events that caused the collapse of the Radcliffe Camera building in Oxford. Tom Taylor resumed his lecture tours around the world, combining classic reading aloud exchanges with the room and jazz piece played on the trumpet. His next step took place in Brisbane, Australia. Several individuals have disappeared in this city or in the surroundings. They all had in common the fact of having recently joined the Tommy Church, led by a visionary named Lucas Filby. Sandra Patterson Didge investigate last disappearance, that of Eric Sadler. Following the recommendations of the Whale, Daniel Armitage was finally able to travel to Brisbane, after saving a year. Meanwhile, Richie Savoy went to the bedside of Anna Elizabeth Rausch.

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Episode 41 - Just after the events in the Radcliffe Camera building, Richie Savoy Tom Taylor took away so he could recover. The beginning was difficult for all 2.

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It's always a pleasure to find the time to an episode that foul-mouthed thug in the skin of a children's tale rabbit. And now the vague threat underlying the previous episode was dedicated to him is emerging. Even better, after finally to discover how Pauly Bruckner is linked to the history of the Taylor family, and what happens to its environment. For the rest, Carey & Gross use a narrative device that is proven: after a decisive confrontation, moving in time to discover what happened to the heroes of the story, after a quieter period, corresponding to a period of gestation. In half a dozen pages, Carey and Gross established the events that occurred during the past year (with a return of weirdly placed back in the last episode). The reader discovers the consequences of injuries inflicted during the great battle of the previous volume, but not only. The authors fully utilize the possibilities of the medium by inserting some facsimiles page website, the time of a comic book page and two pages devoted to television news screens (presented by very smooth Lorna & John). These screens can be read at 4 different levels: dialogue presenters, background images, titles and pop band information below the screen. In reading, there are 2 pages ultimately very copious, and yet correspond to the density of information that the viewer assimilates face his television screen. The rest of the story returns to a traditional comic book format.

These 6 episodes use a form of traditional narrative, linear easy to follow with almost no literary reference. By cons, Carey and Gross begin to use their own internal full mythology developed in the previous volumes. For example, Sandra Patterson wears a t-shirt with the inscription "Who are you?" which alludes to the question posed by Lizzy Hexam Tom Taylor, in the first volume. The story reveals several key plot points, the role of Pauly Bruckner to the evolution of worship of Tommy Taylor (a real cult seeing that character in a messiah incarnate in Tom Taylor), through what " Unwritten "(the deeper meaning of the term). Carey and Gross course continue to talk about the complex relationship between reality and fiction, through this Tommy Church, through the fate of Leviathan, but also with the emergence of Shrdlu Silverhoof, a unicorn, in the real world . But the story is primarily driven by the characters, their character and their future. As such, Daniel Armitage earns a little thick. Sandra Patterson steals the show in every scene she appears with its strong character and good brittle cynicism. His presence also owes much to the drawings (always as simple in appearance) Peter Gross. On the one hand his dialogues establish his cynicism and pragmatism; the other drawings show the same traits. Then it evolves in panties and tank top to Armitage who is in her bed, she is undoubtedly in control without Armitage (or drive) can not believe that her outfit puts it in a position of inferiority, Armitage or she induces in error about his intentions. Despite this outfit and the situation Armitage (Sandra in bed) it is the opposite of any solicitation or any ambiguity about a potential sexual relationship. As usual, Gross managed to coexist dan same image are difficult to reconcile elements (such as the unicorn in the shed). It creates plausible and credible Australian landscapes, without playing on the spectacular. When Tom is on stage, his scenography is plausible in its simplicity and gestures.

Despite its appearance of patch strangely located, the latest episode is a good example of the expertise of the two creators. On the one hand, Carey staged the rebellion of a secondary character, putting the same question the basic concept of modern novel which means that there is a hero (or the main character rigor, more rarely group of characters) and secondary characters that revolve around, totally dependent on the main character. In view of this series, this questioning refers to the nature of the novel, and the perception of reality, by egocentric nature to every human being, that is to say, a written narrative with a dominant view up to be exclusive. For his part, Peter Gross has his work to stage a head-to-head in an abandoned house, inhabited by ghosts. Only his apparently simple style and art of staging can prevent the images of falling into cheap shots ordinary comics (and what a pleasure to see Miriam Waltzer board!).

Volume 7 This is in easy access to volumes of low literary references, and linear and simple plot. However, by demonstrating attention, or decline, the reader notes that the main themes of the series are present, several subplots mature, the characters (old and new) are expanded and developed, and that Images continue to be difficult moments (or even impossible) to create prose.