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Hype Machine: Debris

By | June 26th, 2012
Posted in Columns | % Comments

For this week’s edition of Hype Machine, I’d like to tell you all about a little book I had a chance to read over the weekend called “Debris.” It’s a comic I’ve been pretty darn excited about back when its name might not have been “Debris” at all, and I was not let down at all by what I read.

We’re still a month or so away from the comic hitting the stands, so keep in mind this isn’t a review (that will assumedly come later, during the week of), but in case you haven’t already pre-ordered it lets talk about why you’re going to want this comic.

Kurtis Wiebe and Riley Rossmo are a pair you can trust. I’d regale you with comparisons to peanut butter and jelly or lamb and tuna fish, but I’m sure you already know this assuming you’ve read “Green Wake” (and if you haven’t, come on). There are many pairs in comics that seem to just get what the other is going for, and between the two they’ve always given the impression to be on the same wave length. It is, in no shorter terms, what made a series like “Green Wake” – which played out a Twin Peaks-esque tune and barely got the chance to wrap up how the duo wanted – work.

With that in mind, it should really be no surprise at all that the two reuniting on a series without all of that dense mystery and mythology (that a book “Green Wake” like had) works like a charm. These are two storytellers familiar with the strengths and the weaknesses of each other by now; Kurtis knows when to take the words away and let Riley’s art do all the talking, and Riley knows how to make the quieter moments that Kurtis is writing hit with the same ferocity of the action sequences. “Debris” is the two creators in unison, and the fact that the books origin came from a picture Riley drew that Kurtis happened to see (so the legend goes) shows the strength of the bond the two creators share.

Now, granted: there are quite a few reasons “Debris” is awesome. For one, it’s absolutely bad ass. Here’s a book starring a futuristic femme fatale in a Mad Max by way of Final Fantasy story involving mech-snake/dragons and a trek through a barren wasteland. (Wiebe himself originally described the book as “Red Sonja fighting Transformers in a dystopian Miyazaki world,” so there’s that too.) For two, it’s a great entry into the ever evolving and growing field of science fiction. Science fiction, for those who’ve never tried, can at times be remarkably difficult to write when you’re designing a world from the ground up featuring new dialect and history, but just as they crafted “Green Wake’s” nightmarish landscape together, “Debris” is equally as distinct of a dystopian wasteland in a sea of stories set in futuristic dystopian wastelands.

Most importantly, though, “Debris” makes for an incredibly solid read. It’s a great set-up issue that understands the quickened pace of a four-issue mini (as opposed to a potential ongoing consisting of a few volumes) and doesn’t waste its time giving you anything less than what you need and want.

And of course I would be absolutely remiss if I did not give praises to Owen Gieni’s coloring on this book. Colorists are some of the biggest unsung heroes in comics (among a litany of unsung heroes, really), but Gieni proves with this book what great coloring can do for art. Anyone who has seen Riley’s work in the past (whether recently in “Rebel Blood” or back in “Green Wake”) knows exactly what style his work repeatedly invokes, but “Debris” is smooth in ways none of his work normally is. The colors are crisp and in a cool neon tint, adding a brand new layer to Riley’s always impressive work and really transforming the entire piece. If you’ve never sat back and taken the time to appreciate the difference colors can make, “Debris” colors with Gieni won’t give you any other option.

But enough of my babbling. A picture is worth a thousand words, so here’s five thousand words for you:

Continued below

“Debris” comes from Image/Shadowline on July 25th.


Matthew Meylikhov

Once upon a time, Matthew Meylikhov became the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Multiversity Comics, where he was known for his beard and fondness for cats. Then he became only one of those things. Now, if you listen really carefully at night, you may still hear from whispers on the wind a faint voice saying, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine is not as bad as everyone says it issss."

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