There are lots of good comics out there, but some clearly stand head-and-shoulders above the rest. “Don’t Miss This” shines a weekly spotlight on the books our staff writers think need to be on your pull list. This week we look at “Good Luck,” a fast-paced, rambunctious visual spectacle that asks some weighty and intriguing questions.
Who Is This By?
“Good Luck” is written by Matthew Erman, author of the raucous cult favorite series from Mad Cave, “Terminal Punks.” He also co-created “Witch Blood” and has written for franchise properties like “Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal,” Power Rangers and Care Bears. The series is illustrated and colored by Italian comics artist Stefano Simeone whose previous work includes projects for Disney, Pixar, IDW and Vault.
What’s It All About?
Take the sci-fi classic “Ender’s Game” and/or the more recent and more dystopian “Maze Runner,” mash them up with a story where the gods walk among us like “The Wicked + The Divine” and you’re pretty close.
Thirty years before the story begins the gods of luck – in vaguely human form – arrive on planet Earth and change things forever. “Some of them brought Good Luck, and their presence was like basking in the perfect heat of the sun. And some of them brought Bad Luck, like tasting metallic blood and smelling burnt oil.” Either way, luck has become a very real, quantifiable force, like gravity, mass or light.
As the story begins, we learn that four special kids with no luck at all have been training for a life-or-death mission every day for the past seven years. The core team of flamboyantly named regulars – Cherry Madonna, Hilde Hilde and Artemis Barlow – have never succeeded once, and yet, they continue to run the same simulation over and over again. Obviously, with humanity’s fate in the balance, The Department of Luck and Probability must pursue “every blip of a possibility.” Otherwise, there’s no hope that the perpetual bad luck and suffering that afflict the people of Little Kentucky, Ohio, will ever end.
Confoundingly, the indefatigable Artemis has somehow maintained a cheery disposition and unfounded sense of optimism throughout this ordeal. Like Sisyphus, he imagines himself to be happy, even as he pushes the heavy boulder up the hill yet again. Things change dramatically for everyone, however, when the team is joined by newcomer Joseph Testpilot, who seems to have an innate and uncanny sense of where to go and what to do. From there, things rarely play out like they should and the story will keep you guessing.
What Makes It So Great?
The series’ plot isn’t the only thing that feels like a high concept mashup. Aesthetically, imagine French Existentialist philosopher and novelist Albert Camus teaming up with Lisa Frank’s punk rock cousin. The action is well paced and the characters are well realized, but the poignant, stream-of-consciousness philosophical debates between the characters are where the book shines.
Cassiopeia may be the god of bad luck, but she’s not exactly having a blast raining down catastrophe and sorrow. During one epic confrontation she shows Artemis an alternate reality version of his life and says, “This Luck will never be who you are. This is a different being. Another creature. Is he lucky for knowing this life? Or are you unlucky for knowing it isn’t yours?” Erman’s authentic-sounding dialogue allows the characters to make some profound points without sounding pretentious. Not always an easy task.
Visually, Stefano Simeone’s illustrations and colors feel literally out of this world. Ursa Major, the god of Good Luck, has flowing blonde hair and is perpetually bathed in golden-yellow light. He’s light, airy and optimistic – sunshine seems to follow him wherever he goes. Cassiopeia, by contrast, has a bald, oversized round head and black lips. She is constantly surrounded by harsh neon pink angles and blocky geometric shapes. Her backgrounds are pixelated, her eyes are fiery red, things shatter and break in her wake. Meanwhile, the scenes of the kids and their training are full of cold and clinical, high tech purples, blues and aquamarines. As the scenes hit a fever pitch, they can sometimes teeter on the edge of visual chaos, but Simeone’s great use of colors and careful compositions help us keep it all straight – while also maintaining the tension and forward momentum.
Continued belowIf you think it all sounds like a lot, you’re not entirely wrong. “Good Luck” is definitely not a light, breezy read. The book asks you to do some work, but it’s not some kind of abstract brain puzzle, either. The action can sometimes feel frantic, but the illustrations are astounding. Look them over, soak it all in, pay attention to details and take some time to see what’s really going on. If you do, the payoff will be well worth it. This is the kind of series where you’ll want to flip back through previous chapters and see how it all came together. It’s one hell of a ride and a whole lot of fun.
How Can You Read It?
The fifth and final issue of “Good Luck” hits the shelves today. Head down to your local comic shop and check it out. You can use the Comic Shop Locator to find an indie retailer near you. If you don’t want to leave the house, you can always get it from your favorite online retailer or digital comics platform. It’s a visual spectacle in either form.
