Joe Casey has been producing good comics at a considerable rate these days. “Sex” and “The Bounce” each do their own thing and do it pretty well. “Catalyst Comix” is something else an entirely – a free-form Joe Casey riff on the “event book” using (barely) established characters from comics’ past. If Casey’s aim stays as true as it is here, it just might be more satisfying than any event you’ve read in a while.
Written by Joe Casey
Illustrated by Dan McDaid, Paul Maybury, Ulises FarinasStraight from the glory of Comics’ Greatest World, Frank “Titan” Wells, Amazing Grace and the Agents of Change are back, baby! But you’ve never seen them like this! Superhero comics get a back-alley facelift as these very different champions confront cosmic threats and personal demons—and it all starts at the end of the world as we know it!
In a startling case of serendipity, the main feature in the first issue of “Catalyst Comix” could be a direct response to Man of Steel (and the popcorn media events of its particular ilk). The world appears to be crashing down around “Titan” Wells as he flies around trying to plug the leaks. He’s Superman, painted as ever the everyman, but more practical than idealistic – a real blue collar kind of soul. As he does his hero thing, Casey gives us the sense that Wells will never be comfortable with this life, but that the human being under the brawn and grimace is going to look out for his fellow man. Through images of fiery buildings, innocent bystanders in horrific danger, and insurmountable alien threats at every turn – one cannot help but think of the climax of so many event films and comics. Did the hero really save the day? Wells turns his attentions to the weak and helpless in a way that we didn’t see Man of Steel even pay lip-service to, yet he’s holding back a bursting dam rather than undoing everything that’s been done. At the end of the day’s saving, there’s a lot that didn’t go right either. And that’s the game that Casey’s playing here: apocalyptic stakes on massive scale, but with an emphasis on the stakes that go farther than the fight. What does the government do, what does the media do, what do the ordinary people do, and what does the hero do after something so catastrophic?
It’s a layered, free-form take on the subject of the “event book” though. There’s a little satire that paints some of the reactions to the apocalypse. There’s a post-cape look at the idea of the arranged “super team.” There’s some real character work being done here and there’s some chances taken with the narration that puts on display the dexterity of voice that Casey is capable of. Though Wells is the subject of this issue’s “feature” story, there are a variety of bits from other characters from “Comics’ Greatest World” that are touched on here and will take more of a center-stage in the future. In this way, it’s a difficult narrative, at times, and not everything comes together cleanly. It’s not meant to, surely. There has been a promise made and a sense within the work that when the 9 issues are over, the narratives will fold together and enhance one another in a variety of ways. While “Catalyst Comix” is much more a tapestry, than it is an anthology book, it remains to be seen where the heart of the story lies. The whole exercise ends up being more intellectual and artsy than the rampant destruction would suggest, but then again, that’s what makes “Catalyst Comix” so different than what we’re used to.
Tying everything together through visual synergy, is the art of the three different segments. Dan McDaid, Paul Maybury, and Ulises Farinas each take of the segments and do their own thing with it, but the results are all on the same wavelength of sensibility and taste. Each of them does something with the medium that generic house-style artists wouldn’t attempt in a similar event. Their heroes are not glorified and posed for the camera. There’s a beautiful sort of ugliness to some of the events and there is, at times, a through-line of visual dissonance between the characters and the tasks they are asked to accomplish. In many ways (some metatextual and some story-driven), this is very much a cast of underdogs, and the artwork highlights this.
Continued belowEach artist proves that there is no such thing as a “go-to” artist for event books packed with destruction. Or, at least, perhaps there no longer should be. Dan McDaid, known for work on “Doctor Who” strips, is an unconventional choice for a “superman thrashes the alien beings” story, but as Wells crunches the earth under his feet and bursts through waves of electricity over the city, McDaid rises to every challenge in making this seem large-scale. Paul Maybury gets psychedelic with his installment, adding another side to the apocalyptic event, while Farinas goes gritty, bizarro, and sexual with his “Agents of Change.” These both act as intriguing “backups” in this issue, and their visuals generate a lot of promise and anticipation for when they will each get their turn as the featured story.
Joe Casey has made no bones about how good he thinks his “Catalyst Comix” is. It’s the typical Joe Casey bluster, and while that’s not a knock on him at all, it doesn’t matter a whole lot once you’ve got his actual product in your hand. He’s not wrong about the fact that this is a good book, but it’s also not going to change comic books forever. What it does do, however, is show us a way that end-of-the-world stakes and crossover type can be made captivating in a variety of ways. All it takes is a trust in the intelligence of his audience and (perish forbid the “big 2” ever try this) some unconventional art choices to create an “event” that truly feels special for once.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy an event that is finally worth your money.
