Written by Justin Jordan
Illustrated by Tradd MooreSuspended from school for putting a bully in the hospital, Luther spends his days figuring out his newfound abilities and getting to know Petra, his new girlfriend. Unfortunately, it?s not going to last long with The Librarian killing his way toward Luther and those that he loves
Am I the only person who wants to down, like, four jugs of Sunny Delight after reading this comic? Just me?
Okay, last month, we talked about how impressed we were with the first issue of Image Comics new series, The Strange Talent of Luther Strode. See what I thought of the second one after the jump! As a note, some mild spoilers are discussed
After a violent outburst that left a bully in traction and him expelled for six weeks, things seem to be coming together for young Luther Strode. Okay, sure he’s back in school where most of the students are scared of him, and the bully he crushed last issue wants to go another round, but who cares about that stuff? He’s buff now, and the lovely Petra is totally into him. Luther’s got a girlfriend and life is good!
But as things start looking up for Luther, life takes a bit of a turn in the opposite direction for humiliated bully Paul Jacobson. In a scene that might make you look away if it wasn’t a comic, the enigmatic baddie of the series, the Librarian, makes a surprise visit to Paul’s home at dinnertime and vivisects his family for no apparent reason. Well, I say “no apparent reason”, but since we saw him do something similar last issue, I’m guessing his tendency toward murder is connected to (wait for it) the Strange Talent of Luther Strode.
The issue closes with Luther caught up in a convenience store robbery. With his hood covering his head, he takes action, saving the day with that most versatile of snacks, the Slim Jim. So now, in addition to being inhumanly strong, Luther possesses uncanny aim. How many other strange talents can he expect to develop?
With his green hoodie on and his friend Pete’s sudden assertion that Luther is now, of course, a superhero, I couldn’t help but notice the visual similarities between Super-Luther and Bruce Willis’s character in Unbreakable. I doubt it’s intentional, but it’s at least slightly evocative. Unbreakable, man… remember that movie?
Justin Jordan’s writing still plays well to the high school setting. Luther’s friend Pete might as well be me at 16, in both looks and potty mouth. Whenever these two are talking to each other, there’s good stuff going on. However, the scenes between Luther and Jacobson caught my attention most, as Jordan seems to be covering the same ground over and over with these two. There’s nothing between them this issue that we didn’t see last issue. After being schooled twice now by Luther, I’m just not exactly sure why Jacobson doesn’t just let it go. Although, after that business with the Librarian, it’s likely we don’t have to worry about Paul anymore.
Jordan continues to lean pretty hard on the familiar tropes of teen movies and TV shows. And while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I’d like to see the characters branch out a little, because right now they’re starting to come off as just a little common. I know it’s only the second issue, but I mean, really, what do we know about them at this point? The boys like posters in their rooms, and Petra owns a Nine Inch Nails t-shirt.
I have to give credit to Jordan, though, for Luther’s super cool training and conditioning sequence. It’s pretty hilarious, as he proves that no matter how badass Luther becomes, he’s still a geek and 100% susceptible to the effects of having a pretty girl sneak into your room.
Tradd Moore’s characters are even more expressive and kinetic than the first issue. I’m not usually turned off by ultra-violence, but I’ll admit there are moments where Moore’s depictions of dismemberment cause me to cringe a little. Luther’s “skin vision” is rightly disturbing and more than a little unnerving, and Moore does a fine job of selling just how weird this must look from Luther’s point of view. And while I think Moore’s characters and how he draws violence owes something to Ryan Ottley’s work on Invincible, he’s already, with this second issue, quickly developing a language of violence all his own, and if the opening to the first issue is any indication, he’ll speak it fluently by the time this mini-series is over.
While I enjoyed this issue, it doesn’t feel like much happened in it. Some questions where asked — like, what’s the Librarian up to — but it probably spends a little too much time in the school’s hallway — about ½ its pages — in a scene which, again, played out very similar to something we already saw in the first issue. Jordan clearly likes writing Luther, Pete, Petra, and even Paul and his cronies, but it’s time to move away from the locker talk and get into the real meat and potatoes of the story.
Final Verdict: 7.5 — Well worth a look
