Usually when an issue of Thomas Alsop releases I save it for last or damn near last in my pile. It tends to release at the same time as several other titles high on my list of “must reads.” This week though Thomas Alsop was the first thing I read. Hell if you had offered it to me last week at the cost of my arm… well I would be typing this review with one hand and maybe having some remorse about not just waiting a week… not much, but some remorse. Can I tell you anything about the issue? Well not really. Hell I can’t even bring up a point that I raised in previous reviews or even in my interview with creators Chris Miskiewicz and Palle Schmidt without fear of spoiling what has been one of the most satisfying endings to a series I have ever read. I’m not blowing smoke up anyone’s ass, I’m saying with 100% certainty that anyone who has read the first seven issues of this series will be left completely satisfied. You’ll also be left wanting more and frankly it’s going to be a dark month when February hits because I’ve grown accustomed to this series appearing on my pull list.
What can be said about it other than completely satisfying?
Well writer Chris Miskiewicz is a talented writer who much like his main character took an event that is heavy and personal to a lot of people and told a story that never once sought to diminish its memory. What’s more impressive is the character journey in which he takes Thomas. Without saying too much, you will understand why Thomas acts the way he does even if the character himself doesn’t. In that regard Palle Schmidt steps in to make the final big reveal of the story is cinematic and yet perfect for the comic medium.
Because that’s the thing isn’t it? So many comics now a days are just movies in disguise, but not Thomas Alsop. It’s had elements of novels, movies, TV, the internet, but overall it was focused and created to be a comic book. A lot of that came from Schmidt’s artwork since his breakdowns and layouts not only constructed the visual narrative, but made each panel a work of art.
I choose Thomas Alsop as my “Underrated Series of 2014”, but if I had read this final issue I think it would have won my best mini-series as well. Oh wait… who the hell says it can’t? That’s right read the updated mini-series list.
The point is that you should read this series. You should buy the back issues or at this point wait for the collected edition and buy the hell out of that. If you’re really cool you’ll do both because then we’ll for sure get more of Thomas and his journey as the Hand of the Island.
Oh and thanks for the shout out in the back guys, I greatly appreciate it. February is really going to suck without your amazing collaboration.
Score: 5/5
Writer: Chris Miskiewicz Artist: Palle Schmidt Publisher: BOOM! Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 1/14/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital