Can I start off by saying I was right? Or mostly right? The Field was one of the best issues I read last month and so I was looking forward to this issue a lot. It delivers, but a lot of the mystery felt revealed in this issue. That doesn’t mean that I won’t be back to finish it, just that there’s new expectations of the series and only a handful of mysteries left to solve. The opening of this issue was strange and caught me off guard. The art plays a huge role as everything almost looks like it’s sculpted with clay. The colors are dominating and an entire hue can take over a panel. It’s wonderful and confusing because it’s not where the story left off and we don’t have context for it just yet.
After this strange opening we see the clock check in at 6:39 am, in the last issue we left off at 5:23 am so over an hour has pass. Christian and our unknown protagonist are on the road and the dude with no memories is scared shitless and crying at this point. The dude grabs Christian and begs him not to kill him. Christian slams on the breaks and the look on his face is different from the crazed maniac we’ve seen before. It’s like he suddenly realizes how confused the guy is and so he tells him that he’s not going to kill him, he’s actually protecting him in his own strange kind of way and breaks down crying himself.
This moment is cut short when two old ass bikers show up and begin shooting at them. Since we know that Christian is a good shot he makes pretty quick work of the bikers, but you’ll definitely want to see what happens. It’s gruesome and amazing.
What we learn in this issue is that the people are experiencing the same day over and over and while it’s revealed by a new character why that is, I won’t spoil it for you. It’s familiar territory for Ed Brisson, but he’s approached it in a fresh and interesting way. The dialogue continues to be realistic and has this great mix of being informative and yet mysterious. That’s a very difficult balance to create, but Brisson toes the line just right.
Before I move on to the art the lettering should be mentioned. I’m sure that Brisson and Simon Gough are working in tandem on this to an extent since Gough is coloring it, but damn it’s incredible. The scene in which the bikers are taken out has two great sound effects and that carry with the action. Brisson makes you pay attention to the lettering and utilizes it like very few comics do. More creators should take note to this because it amplifies this issue a lot.
I have a feeling that Simon Roy will likely find plenty of work after this, much in the way that another previous collaborator of Brisson’s did. Roy’s artwork to put it plainly is the shit. The scene in which Christian stops the car and has a heart to heart with the main character was just amazing. The feelings that are shown and revealed are incredible. Christian is no longer some crazy maniac, but rather a man that’s feeling free for the first time and wants to do whatever it takes to hold on to that feeling… which is the same thing really.
Roy’s artwork is powerful and moving, but also manages to be incredibly malleable to what the story needs. The opening maintains elements of Roy’s style while also appearing different from the rest of the story. It’s a hazy memory and that comes across instantly.
This story is only getting crazier, but I can’t help but love it because of that. Brisson clarifies some aspects of the story with this issue, but the meat of mystery is left and that isn’t stopping the story from introducing more hijinks. If you love a good mind-fuck, time travel story then you shouldn’t miss out on what’s sure to be one of the best mini-series of the year.
Score: 5/5
Writer/Letter: Ed Brisson Artist: Simon Roy Colorist: Simon Gough Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 5/14/14 Format: Mini-Series, Print/Digital