REDCOAT #19: Acceptance

Everything comes with a price. And for Simon Pure, his family’s acceptance of who he is may come with a price greater than anything he could have imagined. Simon and Albert are hot on the trail, searching for Benedict Arnold, taking them through the streets of Boston. Simon had finally found the perfect life for himself, but what’s the cost?

Creative Team: Geoff Johns, Bryan Hitch, Brad Anderson, Andrew Currie, and Rob Leigh.

The Story:

This issue is nothing short of an emotional roller coaster from the very first panel until the shocking final splash page. We have come to grow with Simon and feel as though we are a part of his family, as he is ours. I could live in a story of Albert and Simon adventuring as though the two are Indiana Jones forever, and I could read about Simon being a family man forever. The way Geoff shows us how endeared Simon is to the people of Boston, whether it is the flower lady or a passerby, he has finally found his home. Nothing could have prepared me, however, for the final few pages where Geoff and Bryan stabbed us in the heart and twisted that knife deep. This issue truly made me sit in silence for a bit after I had finished reading it.

The Art:

The State House of Boston is a staple of Boston and a place I would find myself around often growing up near the city. The detail that Andrew, Bryan, and Brad captured with it standing as a beacon in the city was excellent. The trio captures so many fine details within these pages, such as the dirt and grime on Simon’s clothes as he mourns his family who has left. There is a beautiful detail in the pages that stood out to me the most and what made this issue land tremendously in my soul. There’s the sequence where Simon is looking at Maggie, where they reconcile, and the way that the tears were welling up in Simon’s eyes. They managed to catch the glossy look before a tear comes out of our eyes so perfectly and life-like. And then again, where a panel shakes and reverberates, the way the art is captured in that moment. The art was gorgeous and emotional throughout this issue, and it’s not lost on me how well Rob captures the raw rage and pain Simon feels as he is racing in a panic through the streets of Boston at the end.

Final Thoughts:

Redcoat #19 is beautiful, it is heartbreaking, and it is perhaps the most gut-punching issue of this entire series to date. The artwork is so finely detailed, and there is a level of acute care within these panels that delivers due justice to the magnitude of this issue. Geoff and Bryan deliver a script that puts us through the wringer I never thought possible. This is why this is one of my favorite comics in existence currently.

Overall Grade: 10/10

Let us know how long you sat in silence after reading this issue, and be sure to check out more reviews by Matt!