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Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Bengal
Letterer: Rus Wooton
PUBLISHER: IMAGE COMICS
Napalm Lullaby #1 has left me with far more questions than answers. By the end, a general direction is set but there are still a lot of major unknowns. Who are these characters? Where do they come from? What is driving them? Typically that would be a major problem when it comes to enjoyment, while it does leave me a bit empty, building from the outside in does have its appeal.
Part of that is giving this creative team the benefit of the doubt. I have seen writer Rick Remender create puzzles that can come into form so I trust he can do it again. Here this issue works like a series of cold opens.
We first have a youngish couple leading a protest for reasons that are not clear but are related to their religion. We then take a sharp left turn as their drive home is interrupted when beings from another world or possibly time explode onto the scene in an apparent chase.
By the end, all that is left standing is a crying baby who appears to have an immense amount of power. Taking a page from the book of Jonathan and Martha Kent this couple takes this baby home as their own.
Reading this you get the sense they want you to think you have an idea what this story will be, only to take an entirely different turn. We get an opening that seems like we are setting up a different version of the
Superman origin. Instead, we flash forward fifty years to an entirely different time, place, and set of characters. The only major connecting tissue is the religious iconography that informs us we are dealing with a man ending the lives of some religious figures.
Why? To what end? That remains to be seen as we quickly shift to another set of characters that appear to be the main protagonist of this series.
It was their plan we were seeing take place. They are attempting to upset the status quo of this world that is content with the injustice that is rampant in society.
Now I do not want it to seem like it is impossible to connect the dots. Clearly, the baby has been used to shape the world based on the religious beliefs of the couple that opened the issue.
However, their religion is not one of this world so even that leaves a lot unsaid. I do appreciate a story that trusts the audience. That allows us to understand the world in an organic fashion rather than with an endless amount of exposition.
We get a bit of narration that does not speak directly to the plot but rather to the themes of injustice and social submission that are taking place. Almost as if Remender is telling us why he has to tell this story.
What this issue does excel at is worldbuilding. Artist Bengal takes time to craft this world showing us a city of the downtrodden and destitute.
I did not realize how drab many of his color choices were until we cut to a scene of this pristine room with immaculate lighting and pure cleanliness. It was akin to someone quickly turning on the lights in the middle of the night well before your eyes get a chance to adjust. A major shock to the senses that also had a great payoff as the scene ended.
Characters also speak of parts of this world like they know what they are talking about. They are speaking to each other and not the audience which makes the conversations naturally smooth.
You do have to pay attention, and I found a second read-through enhances the experience a great deal. Have to appreciate a comic that rewards reuse.
Stylistically Bengal represents what the future of comics will look like shortly. You see influences from all over the world including Manga to European work. That is most apparent when it comes to character design. These individuals look framily but distinct enough to not feel redundant from other stories.
In this creative team’s last series Death or Glory, he demonstrated his ability to craft an exciting car chase. We get a little bit of that, but some of the major action beats were dynamic but not always the easiest to follow.
The opening scene for example came off uneven as it was not clear what exactly was happening until the scene concludes. It was always eye-catching just some minor quibbles overall.
I doubt the irony of a comic series centered so much on religion asking for faith regarding how this story will develop was accidental.
Ultimately the goal of a first issue is to create enough intrigue to make you want to come back for issue number two. No question that goal was accomplished. The goal now for issue two is to find something deeper to connect to beyond that initial intrigue.
