By Chris Tresson

Unfollow is the best series Vertigo has going right now, hands down. The series is an interesting read and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read previously. Saying that, up until a few weeks ago, I did have a big stack of back issues piled up on my reading table (I don’t call it that because I read at it, it’s just a table covered in books that I haven’t had a chance to read yet.) I've read this series in big chunks at various points but I’ve managed to catch up now, hence me deciding to review the latest issue. So like myself staring down at that reading table o' mine, let’s stop stallin’ and get on with it… Unfollow, issue thirteen. Doin' it.

This issue of Unfollow is kind of similar to a few others that I’ve read previously in that it takes one of the main characters and flashes back to who they were before the game started. With the events of the last issue still fresh in my mind, I was expecting to see the aftermath of that but instead Rob Williams takes us out of the present to focus on the character of Akira... I’m not complaining, I like these flashback issues because I like learning a more about the characters and what makes them them. Akira is a character that has intrigued me since he first showed up in the series, so to see his backstory was a real treat for me. The issue is incredibly well written and I would have to say that this part of the story, the writing, it’s some of my favourite writing of the series so far… I am starting to worry about this series, though.

I don’t know how long Rob Williams and Mike Dowling are intending this series to run, but when things like last issues plane crash happen, it starts me thinking that the story will run shorter than I would want it to. Obviously the number of people Williams kills off doesn’t really affect how long the story will run and with losing large chunks of the 140 at a time, there’s the potential to introduce new characters, trim the fat (y’all know at least 120 of these fuckers are cannon fodder) and focus solely on only a handful of guys and girls... We’ll see.

I guess I better talk about the art in this issue before I go. This has another guest artist filling in for Mike Dowling and by this point, I’m assuming that every future flashback issue will be drawn by a different artist to give Mike Dowling a bit of a break between issues or to stop him falling behind on the book, I don’t know. Anyway… this issue’s guest artist is Simon Gane of They’re Not Like Us fame, and overall, I quite liked the art in this issue. Simon does his thing and I think his style is a great fit for the Akira story. The opening panels in this issue are fantastic and probably my favorite in the whole book. There are no complaints from me; the issue is pretty solid throughout... I enjoy Unfollow when I read it and that’s not always the case when I read comics, so that’s good.

If you’ve been following along at home, you’re going to like this issue of Unfollow. If you haven’t, grab the trades or wait for that TV show they’re doing…

Score: 4/5

Unfollow #13
Writer: Rob Williams
Artist: Simon Gane
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Publisher: Vertigo Comics