So we kind of loved the first issue of this miniseries – but then, what’s not to love about a boarding-school story where there are kids learning to be assassins? It didn’t hurt that our hero, Tyler, was just about the classiest take on the non-violent smart kid ever.
Written and Illustrated by Jimmie Robinson
Tyler barely escapes the knife club only to become the target of both the stick club and every teacher in the school of Five Weapons. This time the faculty plans to beat Tyler at his own game and embarrass him in front of the whole school.
The latest series from fan-favorite creator, Jimmie Robinson!
Put simply, this issue is about Tyler solving problems with his head. And that’s basically what the first issue was about, too, at least insofar as Tyler hadn’t chosen a weapon yet, and was skillfully figuring out how the school operates. Here we see that this non-violent trait is getting to be a pattern, and that Tyler may never need to choose a weapon at all. He’s got plenty of bullies to thwart in this issue, not to mention at least one friend, and he does it all with intelligence and a good deal of flair. We also get more of Tyler’s backstory, delivered economically but effectively, and it’s beginning to come clear just how Tyler got to be how he is.
Meanwhile, the out-and-out creativity of this story is really beginning to distinguish itself. Tyler has a Sherlock Holmesian ability to deduct his way through any situation, and the details that he brings to light are novel and often quite funny. Even the wackiest of moments – such as when Tyler openly soliloquizes in the school hallway, and gets interrupted by a kid trapped in a trash can – fit in nicely with the overall off-kilter atmosphere.
Apart from the plot, the pacing establishes itself as something special. As he did with the first issue, Robinson crams enough action into these 22 pages that they really do add up to a “book” (which is what Robinson’s calling each issue). It feels like you’re getting a good dose of action and story for your money, and despite the fact that I used the word “crammed” just there, the issue doesn’t feel cramped, either, flowing along nicely and spacing out the important details.
The only aspect of the writing that feels off is the emphasis on one character’s accent; Robinson phonetically spells out the dialogue of this student when, in this case, it would have evident from vocabulary and body language alone. But then, while this comic does have many virtues, subtlety isn’t always one of them. This is a big, brash world, set down in a big, brash comic – all the better for the significantly less brash but still very brassy Tyler to confront and outsmart.
Robinson established a clean, engaging art style in the first issue, and it holds up well here. There’s a fair amount of action going on, and it’s all handled with gusto, often using a slightly-too-close camera position to obscure the specifics of the action and suggest Tyler’s point of view; focused, and possibly a touch spaced out as he thinks through the situation. There’s also a vaguely manga-esque air, particularly when it comes to facial expression, that the school setting probably emphasizes, and it melds well with the overall style.
Meanwhile, Paul Little’s vibrant colours are a neat ironic touch, making this violent world seem awfully kid friendly – from the manicured green of the school range to the bright red targets printed on everybody’s uniforms. These brighter tones are set off and emphasized by some muted greys and browns, the kind you’re liable to come across in any school, regardless of what you’re learning there, and it’s a nice taste of the banal in amongst the chaos and fun.
This is just a really smooth and compelling book – easy on the eyes and downright delightful in terms of story. And, as Vince noted, this is a great young adult read – particularly since the focus is on figuring out your identity in something of an oppressive setting. So, use your head: read “Five Weapons”.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy
