Writer James Robinson and artist Greg Hinkle resume their exploits with a Golden Age hero in “Airboy” #3 and are transported from our present day into the thick of the Second World War. Robinson and Hinkle tell a quick-paced tale that is loaded with heart, vulgarity, and especially hilarity.
Written by James Robinson
Illustrated by Greg HinkleThe drug, booze and sex fueled actions of JAMES ROBINSON and GREG HINKLE have pushed Airboy to the brink. And, in order to straighten these two degenerates out, he’s taken them to his world: a steampunk arena of Allies vs. Nazis. But will the experience change James and Greg for the better? Will they finally see the light? Or will they corrupt this world too? – See more at: https://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/airboy-3#sthash.AKUxDQEy.dpuf
After two highly enjoyable issues, “Airboy” #3 continues to prove itself as the frontrunner for best miniseries of 2015. Writer James Robinson and artist/colorist Greg Hinkle continue to regale us with their hilariously tasteless story of characters that bear their names and likenesses. Although the creators may not live such brazenly cheap lives themselves (one would hope), the characters have a depth that belies their juvenile antics. When we last left James and Greg, they had suddenly been transported to the colorful time of an alternate Second World War-era world where superheroes are not just in comic books. After Airboy reacted to a world foreign to him in the previous issue, we get to experience a different version of history through the perspective of James and Greg.
Robinson’s dialogue in “Airboy” #3 is natural and never forced. Whether it’s a moment of comedy or a scene of poignancy, the conversations are entertaining and contain brutal honesty. Each character has their own unique perspective and bring their own thought-provoking take on life, however flawed it may be. James and Greg use humor to cope with the enormity and overwhelming nature of life. Airboy is their complete opposite. He may seem naïve, yet Robinson also shows us that this hero has confidence and other vital qualities that are sorely lacking in James’ and Greg’s own lives. When Airboy reassures our “heroes” and takes the lead, they follow with trust and wonderment.
Airboy fills an important role in the lives of James and Greg that becomes more evident in “Airboy” #3. The voice of reason throughout the adventures of these lovable and hedonistic characters is the aviator hero. In a particularly poignant scene between James and Airboy, the writer admits to having personal flaws that are keeping him and his loved ones from being happy as he openly weeps in Airboy’s presence. Robinson is demonstrating the power and need for superheroes while deconstructing the genre. Optimism is needed for humanity to survive. James’ description of Airboy is appropriate for most superheroes of old: they are “glass-is-half-full” characters. Airboy understands and embraces the part he plays in the world while never letting huge obstacles like World War II snuff out the power of hope. James and Greg, however, are the opposite in every way. They are listless, lost, vulnerable, and flawed.
The art in “Airboy” #3 expresses simply, yet powerfully, exactly what Robinson so successfully reveals in words. Hinkle communicates James’ stress and Greg’s constantly wide-eyed lost gaze in a way that is sadly humorous and exceptionally nuanced. Both men share kindred emotions, yet comport themselves in differing ways. Hinkle gives each individual distinct facial features and expressions. James’ face has numerous lines that betray a hard-living and stressed out life. Greg has a more youthful face and an innocence that is both sad and endearing. Hinkle also gives them distinct personalities and compels us to empathize with these lost souls while we laugh at and with them.
Hinkle is also inventive with the issue’s layouts and their contents. There’s a kinetic energy and disorienting excitement to the scene where Airboy and his new compatriots are jumping from building to building as they dodge Nazi airplanes. The way Hinkle tilts the perspective bestows a sense of movement and life upon the page. In the two-page spread where we meet the other heroes, Hinkle sets a tableau where the characters are relaxed and more nonchalant than we expect heroes to be acting during wartime. Although the rest of the issue’s layouts are conventional compared to the roof-jumping scene, Hinkle allows his pure storytelling prowess to stand out.
Continued belowHinkle’s color palette is not only gorgeous and integral to the story, it’s also used in a way that feels unique and unlike anything being released today. James and Greg (as well as the “real” world in the first two issues) are colored black and aqua blue. Airboy and his world, however, are colored with a rich palette. Purple is prevalent throughout “Airboy” #3, granting the proceedings both an ethereal and realistic air that is both jarring and welcoming. This is a world that cannot and should not exist. It belongs, naturally, in the pages of a comic. Are James and Greg conjuring a comic book world through mutual hallucination? Is it magic? Hinkle’s colors bring a sameness to James and Greg, while the colors of Airboy’s world elicit feelings of possibility and magic.
The penultimate issue of “Airboy”, like the previous issues, is a humorous adventure with a tinge of tragedy. There is a feeling that Robinson and Hinkle have taken a character who has entered the public domain and molded a labor of love that is both personal and always outrageously entertaining. Robinson has proven himself a gifted writer before, yet this is the first time I’ve experienced Hinkle’s art. He is deserving of the praise he is sure to get with “Airboy”. This third issue proves that any character, no matter how old, can be used to put a spotlight on the human condition. Plus, toilet humor is timeless.
Final Verdict: 9.5 – Robinson and Hinkle have successfully brought us a seemingly semi-autobiographical book while breathing new life into a mostly forgotten character. “Airboy” #3 is another strikingly unique issue of a highly inventive and personal miniseries.
