Two brothers, two girls and a whole lot of other stuff going on….
Written by Philip Kennedy Johnson
Illustrated by Matthew Dow SmithWhat’s to Love: We were instantly taken with newcomer Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s inventive high concept story and mature characterization. Throw in a crime thriller element and Matthew Dow Smith’s moody art and Last Sons of America can be the perfect answer to, What if Elmore Leonard wrote Children of Men?
What It Is: When a biological terrorist attack makes it impossible for anyone in America to conceive children, adoption of kids from other counties explodes. Brothers Jackie and Julian are adoption agents based in Nicaragua. They usually do all their options through legal means, but they’re facing increasing competition from straight-up kidnappers. One desperate move from Jackie could put them in the cross-hairs of some very dangerous people.
Realistic science fiction stories have always fascinated me to great lengths. I have never been a fan of stuff like Star Wars, simply because it was too “out there” for my taste. Having stories that happen at ground level allow for more drama and potential. In the solicit text above, Children of Men is an excellent example of a “soft sci-fi” story. It is something that notes the fact something science related has happened to alter this universe, but it is not in your face.
In the home of Jose & Mari Gutierrez, located in Nicaragua, brothers Jack & Julian Carver are making their sales pitch to the Gutierrez family. Due to an attack, no American children can be conceived, making the adoption process highly profitable. Families in the States are willing to pay top dollar for any kind of child. Jack & Julian have done this before, but they are in desperate need of a “sale” to stay afloat. Needless to say, the brothers do not get what they are looking for and must find another way to make ends meet. Straight laced Julian wants to continue with their normal routine; loose cannon Jack on the other hand, has another idea. The two unknowingly get tangled up in a mess that could cost them everything.
If that plot sounds a little convoluted, you are not alone in that thinking. Philip Kennedy Johnson spends roughly half the book getting to the heads of the Carver brothers personalities. Julian is the by the books guy, hopefully that things will work out. Jack is not as optimistic, but he inner dialogue reflects these feelings instead of his interactions with his brother. Johnson’s dynamic between the brothers is the driving force, so I wondered when the sci-fi elements would come into play. They are very scant, which is surprising considering how important the biological attack is to their sales pitch. Speaking from my own brotherly experiences, Johnson captures them with pinpoint accuracy and makes them similar yet so different. This setup makes it clear that the Carvers will need to rely on each other in order to get through their problems, past and present.
Although the differences between the brothers are physical as well as mental. Matthew Dow Smith’s style does not fully allow the reader to note that. Jack makes a remark to Julian about not being able to put his shirt on by himself. Naturally one would think that he is missing arms or has some other kind of deformity. Dow does not render things clearly, if Julian is missing something in some capacity, I couldn’t tell. Even panel to panel, there are remarkably inconsistent details that make the story difficult to follow. One example of this is the size of Julian compared to Jack, both early on and towards the end. The perspective of the panels shows them to be the same height, much like twins would be for instance. In another panel later, it is clear Julian is significantly shorter, contradicting the earlier panels.
This also carries over to the main cliffhanger of the book as well. There are a few different young girls in the story, but it is almost impossible to tell them apart. I had to go back three times to see who was who and I am still not 100% sure I am correct. I really want to give Dow the benefit of the doubt, I simply cannot given these lack of details. The lack of detail attention took me right out of the story, which is not good for a reviewer or a fan. It is a disappointing development that leaves this issue with a good hook, dangling by the way side.
Continued belowArt problems aside, even some story elements are all over the place. The Carvers make reference to their agency and their boss, as if both are mythical figures. In a way it is almost telegraphing the soon to be revealed nefarious actions of them. I mention this because there is a big stink made about how the brothers are near the end of their rope. Wouldn’t the business supervise them if this was such a problem? Logically that does not jive with how good these two are supposed to be. I could make the comparison to Glengarry Glen Ross in how a once solid salesman simply no longer has what it takes anymore. Although the theme of hopelessness does come up a lot, where the comparison would be apt. Johnson doesn’t make it clear what he wants with the Carvers; are they heroes or villains? That ambiguity in conjunction with the logic flaws are quite befuddling to say the least.
I did enjoy the danger in the world these characters are living in, because it is two-fold. On one side you have the sake of humanity, an obvious sci-fi trope that is a tad over used. The other danger is the brothers splitting apart due to their philosophical differences. That aspect is more interesting because it is clear how much Jack & Julian really do care for each other. Yes they are like all brothers, they fight and disagree, but they would do anything for the other. That curiosity is something I would be interested in seeing in issue #2, which can turn some of these problems around.
Final Verdict: 6.5 – Overall there are a lot of moving pieces that do not reach their full potential. The choppy art does not help either. But there is a good amount of intrigue to pique interest for issue #2. Proceed with caution.
