What can you do when the very physics of the universe are out of whack? It’s a premise with a lot of potential, but “Collider” doesn’t quite manage to get things moving.
Written by Simon Oliver
Illustrated by Robbi RodriguezIt started small: temporary gravity failures, time reversal loops, entropy reversals. With much fanfare a new government agency was formed with a mandate “to prevent and protect.” Its official title: The Federal Bureau of Physics. Humans, if nothing else, adapt to the changing parameters of their existence. What was extraordinary soon became ordinary, a part of people’s daily lives. They move on and do what people have always done: survive. But even that new status quo is now under threat. Things are getting worse, and it falls to Special Agent Adam Hardy and his FBP team to figure out what’s going on, before it’s too late…
As that solicit sets out in detail, Oliver and Rodriguez have a pretty solid concept to work with here. The physics of the universe are going bananas; there’s a Bureau set up to combat it; Special Agent Hardy is our guy. But as the comic sets about working within these parameters, things get a little murky.
I’m not talking about the enthusiastic use of the term “time-space membrane”, even though the technical talk in this issue does feel a little strained. Similarly, it’s not such a big deal that Agent Hardy’s character feels familiar (“he’s a little rough around the edges, but he knows what he’s doing and he’s the man for the job” etc.). The main distraction in terms of writing in this issue is all… those… ellipses. They’re everywhere, and they give the impression that everybody’s either half-asleep or feeling a… bit… sad.
Unfortunately, the unfocussed feeling that these ellipses lend to the dialogue is also tangible in terms of the overall structure of the issue. With a concept this big, the first issue has a lot of heavy lifting to do, and when and how information is delivered becomes extremely important. But the pacing here is about as dependable as the physics, with notes on people’s personalities and bits of introspection coming up at odd moments. The aim here is clear – set up a dire scientific scenario at the same time as an eccentric cast of characters – but the timing is off.
This said, Rodriguez’s art does a great job of getting across the feeling that all physical rules are out the window while still feeling grounded and realistic, with disorienting layouts lending a lot of fun to the action sequences. The characterizations are broad but interesting, and that helps boost the personality factor a little more. And the complete madness taking place in the last panel is nicely emphasized, given the small amount of space Rodriguez has to work with.
Meanwhile, Rico Renzi’s constant, bright blue skies give things a futuristic veneer but do come off a little monotonous, dominating nearly every panel and feeling more oppressive than is probably helpful in terms of atmosphere. But the bits of fuchsia here and there look great, and the generally bright palette feels energizing and crisp.
Overall – and unhappily, given the promise of its central concept – this comic is looking a little bland. High-concept sci-fi stories that fumble the execution are not exactly the endangered white tigers of the comic world, and this issue feels like it’s suffering from a lot of the usual problems, at least in terms of writing. We’re missing the concise exposition and revealing character details which make a speculative story really compelling, and in short, things need to be stepped up a little for “Collider” to make an impact.
Final Verdict: 6.0 – Browse
