Month after month, Jorge Corona, along with his colorist, Jen Hickman, has been turning in one of the most enjoyable and intriguing all-ages creator-owned series on the stands. Archaia, an imprint of Boom! Studios, already sports an incredibly well-stocked back catalogue of material, and now, with “Feathers” #6, the conclusion of the series, I think this book can safely be considered among their ranks.
Written by Jorge Corona
Illustrated by Jorge Corona and Jen HickmanFinal issue! When he tracks the Scarf Man to his secret lair, and with Bianca, R, and Z’s lives at stake, Poe comes face-to-face with the man who’s been kidnapping the Mice from the Maze.
I think one of the reasons that “Feathers” has been so successful has been that Jorge Corona knew not to take on more than he can handle. He threw a lot of stuff on the table at the start of the series, a lot of different elements and allusions and world-building construction, but as the story went on, he took the focus and honed it on the tale of a weird boy trying to make friends. “Feathers” #6, therefore, resolves a lot of the dangling plot points and satisfyingly puts a close on this particular adventure, while answering only a handful of questions.
You can feel the care and thought Corona puts into this world on every page, in every shot. All-ages comics can be tricky, because the creator has to walk this fine line between engaging and entertaining kids while also engaging and entertaining adults. The most successful ones I’ve come across (“Bone” and “Battling Boy,” for instance) have worked because the creators involved didn’t approach it any differently, had tried to put out something they would equally enjoy; they didn’t talk down to anyone reading the piece. Corona puts so much of his style and sensibility on the page, it’s almost impossible not to get swept up in it.
His line work is careful and he makes sure to stage every action so we can see and understand everything that’s going down. As he’s gone along and developed his visual style he’s definitely become stronger at pulling off some of the more emotional moments. His action sequences have always had this vibrancy to them, this liveliness and movement, but the pain and embarrassment he’s been able to capture on Poe’s face when Bianca finds him stripped of his feathers by the Red Scarf, the emotion Corona’s conjured in small gestures, is new and obviously the work of someone constantly trying to deliver the best story possible. Hickman’s colors help boost the mood, and this issue is dominated by this persistent red hue helping turn it into this nightmare spectacle.
No spoilers for anything, but I also think one of the reasons this book manages to end so satisfying is that none of the events in “Feathers”#6 are that surprising, if you’ve been paying attention. The twists, the revelations, the resolutions, they all make sense. There’s a certain inevitability that Corona had to’ve been aware of that he’s all too happy to explore. Yet, even with that knowledge, nothing in the denouement loses its impact or tension. Although Corona peppers the book with manners of mysteries, the real drama occurs when Poe or Bianca or Z make a choice and we have to follow along with the rest of the action.
Overall, it’s a good ending to this particular story.
But I also get the feeling that Corona isn’t quite done yet. A good number of mysteries remain hovering over the end of the book. (Remembering the dueling narrators all the way back in issue #1? Yeah, I didn’t either, but they’ve returned, six months later, and I’m getting a major La Muerte and Xibalba from their conversation.) Corona also leaves Poe with a lot to keep in mind and think about as well as a metric ton of choices he still has to make. This says “Issue six of six” but I have the feeling we may be getting a series of miniseries sort of deal.
Which I’m all right with, since I think there’s still plenty more in this world for Corona to explore.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – All the plot points come together and resolve in a satisfying capper to a wonderful series.
