Ah man, this issue… this issue. If you haven’t fallen in love with BOOM!’s Thomas Alsop then you are missing out on what might be the best series they’re publishing. It’s very difficult for me to decide what their best title actually is, but hands down this is always going to be fighting for the top spot. By now you should know that the focus of this tale is actually the trapped souls that died on 9/11. Since discovering them Thomas has been… destructive to say the least, but it’s been incredible as well. The issue begins with Thomas interrupting the David Drake show which is definitely a reference to David Letterman, but what’s better is that after Thomas announces his latest “stunt” the host mimics some real life blowouts from Letterman’s past. The results are that Alsop is now the most hated man in New York, but he doesn’t care. He needs that belief, he needs them talking about him so that he can do what needs to be done.
Like always… I wish that I could say more about this issue. I’m going to talk in vague terms about one aspect that was fully introduced in this issue, but that’s it. We finally meet The Five Families, which are the magical families that have a truce with each other. They of course are pissed at Thomas, but besides that so much more is revealed.
This is a huge issue for the plot and while we don’t get to see anything magical or supernatural happening, we do get several pieces of the story and the plot revealed to us as we build towards the resolution. I have no idea how this is going to play out for three more issues; all I know is that I wish it was playing out for nine more.
Chris Miskiewicz you beautiful bastard. Not only has he made Thomas the most likable asshole in comics, but he’s actually found a way to develop Thomas’ character and keep him that way. He’s really just pissing into the wind half of this issue and it’s all intentional. He’s the perfect heel that way. The rest of my compliments for Miskiewicz can’t be said without spoiling the issue, but he does some incredible plot building in this issue and all of it’s interesting. All of it.
The art is actually challenged on this issue because there’s no magic, there’s no flashback to the past. It all takes place in the present and it’s a series of conversations. Even still Palle Schmidt manages to shine and again deliver an issue that’s unlike the previous four. I think that’s what I’ve enjoyed the most about the art is that it has yet to settle into a recognizable rhythm. Instead it adapts and changes and you never know what to expect. That’s the perfect fit for a story that is much the same way.
I don’t know what I have to do other than buy you a copy of the book to get you to read this series. It’s incredible storytelling from both the writer and the artist and by far one of the best things being published by any company at the moment. Do yourself a favor and check out Thomas Alsop, the only thing you’ll regret is that it took you this long to read it.
Score: 5/5
Writer: Chris Miskiewicz Artist: Palle Schmidt Publisher: BOOM! Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 10/8/14 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital