There are a lot of comics out there, but some stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With “Don’t Miss This,” we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. This week we are looking at the instant classic miniseries “Eight Billion Genies” by Charles Soule and Ryan Browne.
Who is this by?
Surely you’ve heard of Charles Soule, one of the most interesting people in the comics biz! No? Okay. Charles Soule is a New-York-based immigration attorney who also writes comics. He writes a lot of comics, including era-defining work at both Marvel and DC, as well as creator-owned work. At one point, he was writing eight ongoing series across three publishers while working as a lawyer. Most non-lawyers can’t handle eight simultaneous ongoings! Soule is also an acclaimed novelist, but he is most famous for his work in the Star Wars galaxy, which includes comics and prose novels.
He’s joined by Ryan Browne, who Soule previously collaborated with for “Curse Words.” Browne was best known for his irreverent webcomic, “God Hates Astronauts.” Browne’s art leans any story towards chaos and hilarity. His people are often ugly and misshapen, but using the tools of cartooning, Browne wrings a lot of meaning from his overstuffed panels.
Both of these creators are fantastic on their own but together, they really shine. “Eight Billion Genies” helps define their style as a duo, which is made up of round irregular panels, tiny footnotes, and impossible situations that lights up the world with mayhem.
What’s it all about?
It’s quite simple really. One day, every person on Earth is visited by a genie, who grants them one wish each. Within seconds, the Earth goes up in flames. But one clever Chicago bartender quickly wishes for his bar to be a no-wish zone, giving us an oasis of calm to anchor the story.
I’m sure you see the appeal. You’re probably figuring out what you would wish for, and imagining in horror what other people would ask for. The story wisely jumps perspectives, so you can see how different people’s wishes play out. What would a little kid wish for? How about a world leader. It’s an idea so good, it should probably become it’s own fantasy sub genre.
The series is structured in exponentially increasing increments of time. The first issue follows the first eight seconds of the Wishpocalypse. In those eight seconds, 698,608, 921 humans use their wish (and around eight million people die in that opening salvo). The second issue takes us to the eight minute mark. Afterwards is eight hours, then eight days, eight weeks, etc. This structure helps the reader follow the narrative, which I should reiterate, is madness.
So why should I read this?
Soule’s comics range wildly in tone, but all of them have a deep compassion at the center. One would assume that working immigration in New York, you meet a lot of people from everywhere and hear their stories. I don’t think you can be a cynical ignorant person while serving a population like that. This makes Soule very sensitive to “punching up” vs “punching down” dynamics in his stories. That’s a wonderful characteristic from a writer who tends towards precisely engineered narratives. He writes with the mindblowing habits of Christopher Nolan mixed in with the sentimentality of Steven Spielberg.
Continuing the moving auteur comparison, Ryan Browne is more like Taika Waititi. His humor dips into the absurd (there is a major character in “God Hates Astronauts” named Emperor Tiger Eating a Cheeseburger, and he does not disappoint). But Browne’s absurdity disguises his love for deflating pretentious people and organizations.
The two of them are like chocolate and peanut butter. Together they are capable of better work. Every single mechanic of this fantasy situation has been imagined, and probably a few you haven’t thought of. And though it’s fun to see a guy wish for a Mechagodzilla, the comic is also asking important questions about desire and what we owe to each other. Plus it’s riotously funny.
How can I read this?
You’re in luck, this is an Image comic, so it is very accessible. Issue #2 of the 8 issue miniseries comes out this week, and you can buy floppy issues at your local comic store. The book should be collected into paperback and hardcover sometime around the December holidays; maybe you’re waiting for that? That’s cool. But don’t forget to pick up “Eight Billion Genies” in whatever your preferred format may be. Don’t miss this!
