Reviews 

“Extremity” #8

By | November 2nd, 2017
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Comics are a ripe medium for science fiction and fantasy. Somewhat more elusive is that nebulous genre of science fantasy, the home of laser guns, magic spells, and alien dragons. “Saga” has pretty much cornered the genre, but for those looking for a comic with a little bit less whimsy, “Extremity” is an awesome story of war, rust, and wonder.

Cover by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer
<strong>Written and Illustrated by Daniel Warren Johnson
Colored by Mike Spicer
Lettered by Rus Wooton</strong>

Thea befriends a new companion while Annora continues her pursuit of the girl with one hand.

It’s rare for a comic to spring to existence so fully realized, but Daniel Warren Johnson has created a complex world of warring tribes and subtle politics. Even more impressive is how confidently “Extremity” throws concepts at the reader, trusting the power of the storytelling and the intelligence of its fans.

By issue number 8, siblings Thea and Rollo are looking for a new ally, and their journey takes them to the Black Canyon, which is exactly as foreboding as it sounds. On the other side of the conflict is the Princess and Paznina, who battle their way to the same canyon through hordes of evil creatures. By the end of the issue we’ve seen everything from run-down decaying towns to battles between gigantic alien space-griffins.

Johnson writes and draws “Extremity,” which shows in every panel. There’s a unity in storytelling between writing and art that feels fundamentally different from a collaboration. The body language of the characters and the placement of the sound effects all create a page that flows fluidly and more cinematically than your average comic. When Johnson decides to draw a facial expression rather than writing dialogue, it arrives with maximum impact.

That wouldn’t mean much if the artwork was second-rate, but “Extremity” is one of the most striking books around. The art style is less glossy than a typical big two capes book. Character designs are busy, and covered with detail, but distinctive traits make them easy to recognize in a crowd. When Johnson chooses to draw a simplified background, it never feels lazy, but rather adds to the impact of the figures in the foreground.

What hits the hardest for me are the sound effects. Most comics have discarded major onomatopoeias, but “Extremity” proudly hits you with jarring slices, rumbles and roars. The ‘pchoom’ of a laser canon rises from behind the man firing it, giving the whole image an immersive sense of momentum that would otherwise be missing. Sound fills this world. I didn’t realize how much I had missed good sound effects until I saw them used here.

None of that is to say that “Extremity” is a complete solo act for Johnson. Though he is credited as the creator, writer, and artist of the book, he’s backed up by a solid pair of creators. Mike Spicer does a subtle job with the colors, preferring a muddy pallet, with little splashes of vibrant color, notably in the characters bright facial markings. Rus Wooton is the rare letterer who does a remarkable job. Besides the aforementioned sound effects, the speech bubbles have a lot more personality than your usual Times New Roman. The scribble-y feel of the letters matches the dilapidated tone of the world perfectly. Johnson is clearly the star here, but he’s well complimented by his collaborators.

What might be a little alienating about “Extremity” is the tone. While its easy to find the protagonist in the story, it’s much harder to find someone who earns the title of hero. This is low fantasy, and the book revels in dragging its characters through mud, bones, and the corpses of hundreds of wolf monsters. The self serious tone is somewhat at odds with the ridiculousness of the setting. In “Saga” the walrus creatures and TV-headed robots are so over the top, you know that the book is in on the joke. That’s not the case here. The book demands that you take it as seriously as it takes itself.

On the other hand, depending on your comfort with out-there sci-fi, mission accomplished. I for one am completely invested in the characters, and the danger to them feels real. That juxtaposition between the weird and the real creates a feeling you couldn’t achieve any way else- a feeling of wonder. When Rollo and Thea meet Clover the griffin, they aren’t encountering an everyday creature. They’re meeting a magnificent beast. The art sells you on their emotion and the grandeur of the magical creature.

So ask yourself if you are willing to go on this journey. If you can take warring tribes and winged three-headed beasts named Gargarath seriously, you might just fall in love. “Extremity” is an easy book to like, and one that deserves a lot more recognition. If you want to get lost in a gorgeous and fully-realized alien world at the movies, it had best be produced by Lucasfilm. In comics though, you can get an epic story from the imagination of just one guy.

Final Verdict: 8.6 – “Extremity” is a beautifully drawn science fantasy story, desperately trying to earn the right to be called “epic.”


Jaina Hill

Jaina is from New York. She currently lives in Ohio. Ask her, and she'll swear she's one of those people who loves both Star Wars and Star Trek equally. Say hi to her on twitter @Rambling_Moose!

EMAIL | ARTICLES