This week’s lead review is The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos #1, which is based on an idea by James Tynion IV. Plus, the Wednesday Comics Team has its usual rundown of the new #1s, finales and other notable issues from non-Big 2 publishers, all of which you can find below … enjoy!
The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos #1
Based On Idea By: James Tynion IV
Written By: Tate Brombal
Art By: Isaac Goodhart
Colors By: Miquel Muerto
Letters By: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
As a James Tynion IV newsletter subscriber, I’ve been excited about The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos since February of 2022, when it was first previewed. In the announcement post, James describes it best: “The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos has a bit of YA to it. It’s a coming-of-age story about extraordinary teenagers, getting wrapped up in a larger-than-life mystery. But like all of my work, we’re not going to shy away from violence, language, or the jagged edges of young life.” Over a year and a half later, Christopher Chaos is coming to Dark Horse for a print run, and I could not be more excited for readers to check it out.
The world of Christopher Chaos is familiar. It’s a small town with a neighborhood that happens to be near some spooky woods. It’s awkward high school moments. It’s the way it feels to be someone in a school filled with seemingly normal and easy-going teens. But the familiar world hides the many promises of what a mad scientist teen can uncover. In the first issue, Christopher catches us up on the story of his life and the trouble his gift has caused him to this point. Oh yeah, there’s also monsters and mysterious hooded figures.
Christopher Chaos is immediately interesting. The partnership between Tynion and Tate Bombal is rock solid after a few years of working on House of Slaughter together. Issac Goodhart and colorist Miquel Muerto fill the world with a brilliant mix of eye-popping colors and very dark shadows. The lettering, done by Blue Book letterer Aditya Bidikar, captures the highs and lows of the story’s energy–easily going from the small coo of a pigeon to a bombastically violent scene in the woods. The Tiny Onion crew is here and firing on all cylinders.
The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos #1 is out now from Dark Horse! Written by James IV Tynion, Tate Brombal, with art by Isaac Goodhart, colors by Miquel Muerto and lettering by Aditya Bidikar.
This is an easy buy for fans of Behold Behemoth, Friday, or Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Verdict: BUY
Wednesday Comics Reviews
Brynmore #1 (IDW Publishing): From the creative team behind hit comic series turned Netflix experiment The October Faction comes a new horror miniseries Brynmore, from writer Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and illustrator Damien Worm (Monster & Madman, The Grievling), with letters by Taylor Esposito. There’s a reason why Niles and Worm have almost exclusively worked together so much recently — they excel at slow-build, sinister story-telling unlike most in the medium. The first issue of Brynmore focuses on Mark Turner, who moves back to his hometown following a divorce. Often haunted by his own demons (alcoholism, mostly absentee father), Mark attempts to reunite with his daughter while also renovating an old church into a (metaphorical and literal) shelter for a new life. Questions about legacy, self-exile, and an intriguing hook at the end makes for a strong first issue for Brynmore, and also shows the value of creator-driven stories like this. Strong recommendation. —Chris Hacker (of The Oblivion Bar podcast)- Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1957 – Fearful Symmetry (Dark Horse Comics): Hellboy and an old friend head off to an Indian village to investigate a string of deaths caused by an unknown creature. It’s a blast. Mike Mignola and Chris Roberson are on their a-game, from witty character interactions that establish great dynamics between Hellboy and his friend, to their understanding of pacing between action and quiet scenes. Alison Sampson utilizes unconventional panel choices, allowing for surprising moments throughout the issue. She also has this wonderfully fluid style, where the characters look as though they’re constantly moving in these wobbly, bendy poses. Lee Loughridge’s colors contrast moody night scenes with these brighter moments in the sun, keeping the issue distinct without resorting to making pages look muddy. Clem Robins ties the issue together with solid letters that seamlessly integrate into the issue without feeling obtrusive. It feels so freeing to read Hellboy, as so many of his stories are ok to be read out of sequence, making it possible to jump in wherever we see fit without a tangled web of continuity. While there are moments informed by previous adventures throughout this issue, we’re given all the context we need to enjoy this singular story, and can find out more afterwards if we choose to. Overall, this is a quick one-shot that’s fun to check out if you’re a fan of Hellboy and his many varied adventures (or just a good ol’ fashion monster story!). —Cy Beltran
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Power Rangers Unlimited: The Coinless #1 (BOOM! Studios): The anthology series of the Power Ranger Unlimited one-shots continues to expand the world and lore of the teenagers with attitude. In this latest outing, The Coinless, tells the story of the surviving Rangers of the alternate Earth once ruled by Lord Drakkon. Writer, Adam Cesare adds to the mythos and story told in other series, giving readers the much-needed next chapter of this doomed reality and their struggle against an evil somehow worse than Drakkon as we also see what kind of losses they’ve experienced since we last saw them. The art from Moisés Hidalgo feels ripped from an episode of the show itself with the movement of characters, expressions, and their killer fight scenes. Paired with colorist, Arthur Hesli, lighting effects and ranger suits stand out on the page in the best way possible. Letters from Ed Dukenshire are final piece of the puzzle, giving us the battle cries of fighting Rangers we expect, along well-implemented SFX that make this title a true Power Rangers one. There’s more story to tell in this world, and Boom was right to have this team be the one to do it! –Bryan Reheil
- Starfinder: Angels of the Drift #1 (Dynamite): Starfinder: Angels of the Drift #1 feels a lot like a role playing game with its quick witted dialogue and high intensity encounters. Building off of the TTRPG of the same name, writer James L. Sutter, artist Edu Menna, colorist Adriano Lucas, and letterer Tom Napolitano play with a selection of the game’s premade characters to build the story’s ensemble cast. The result is a group that feels familiar and engaging to read with distinct voices made visually distinct through Napolitano’s letters. We follow them from a bar (because every good campaign starts at a bar) into The Drift, which is a quickly and concisely explained concept before the book introduces the characters. Menna’s art captures a sense of adventure and dynamism as the group moves across the world and this is complemented by the colors of Lucas which add another layer of life and dimension to the characters and their continuously expansive environments. With or without experience with the Starfinder game, this first issue is a solid one that brings the tone of TTRPG session. –Khalid Johnson
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