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Review: Great Pacific #11

By | October 24th, 2013
Posted in Reviews | 2 Comments

With “Great Pacific” #11, we see the second arc of the title come to a conclusion. Since it’s beginning we have seen the birth and building of a nation and here the building is complete. How far have Joe Harris and Martín Morazzo come since the birth of New Texas? Let’s dive in and find out.

Written by Joe Harris
Illustrated by Martín Morazzo
“NATION BUILDING,” Part Five The road to statehood was already rough for Chas Worthington’s neo nation, but tangling with the despotic outlaw Chukwu regime might prove to be his worst move yet. As the people of New Texas turn on the man who founded their unlikely home, how will Chas respond?

Since it’s inception, “Great Pacific” has largely stood apart from the crowd. It didn’t get a lot of mainstream praise and has quietly been toiling away for another ten issues, covering two story arcs, to tell a story that’s rather unique in comics. You see, for all of the science fiction overlay in how Chas creates New Texas, underneath it all is a political intrigue thriller. This has lead to a lot of character focused drama with the science fiction-infused social commentary on the state of climate change being present to reinforce that. Joe Harris and Martín Morazzo created a grand mythology here that should stand out amongst Image’s best titles that sadly has been overlooked. Here, with the conclusion of their second arc, Harris and Morazzo prove that they are still going strong with more than enough fuel in the tank.

With the idea of a hard boiled political thriller in mind, Harris shines by creating interesting and, most importantly, flawed characters to fill out the world. This is where “Great Pacific” has been at it’s strongest, especially in this second arc, as we see it’s characters interact more and more. One of the downfalls of the first arc was a reliance on plot forwarding plot which has been thankfully rectified as we see here that it’s the characters’ actions moving the story forward now. It’s allowed not only for the book to feel like it’s progressing more naturally, but we’ve also seen more development in the side characters. This is true in this issue as well as Zoe, a character who has just kind of been there since her introduction, gets some little character moments that help flesh out her personality more. This has also allowed for a better look at Chas Worthington himself.

Ever since the rise in popularity of Breaking Bad, anti-hero characters that continually toe the line between hero and monster have come back in fashion. This is certainly the case with Chas Worthington who, since the first issue, has made questionable choice after questionable choice in order to secure the safety of his sovereign nation. This has lead to a portrait of a determined young man who would compromise himself if it would mean the betterment of his land and it’s people. It’s this that has kept “Great Pacific” so compelling and in this issue we see the choice that may haunt Chas the most for the next issue: making a deal with a corrupt warlord. Harris’ writing really shines brightest when exploring Chas as a man weighed down by the decisions he makes and this is a decision that will surely haunt him in a very compelling way as the series continues.

It’s not only Harris who shines, though. Martín Morazzo’s art has created a look that is as unique as the story, mixing the cinematic feel of wide panels with detailed focused environments. His art, however, has a very stylistic interpretation of characters that is somewhat polarising. Personally, I think Morazzo has created a unique style for the story with simple character designs that still evoke emotion despite similar facial structures among several characters. While his characters may be hit or miss with readers, it’s the world Morazzo has created that stands out. His landscapes, especially of The Patch, Worthington’s landmass made of a floating garbage heap, are incredibly detailed and are helped by the widescreen panelling to convey the size of the landmass. A notable highlight of this is issue is the two-page splash on the second and third pages that showcases Morazzo’s strength as a detailed oriented landscape artist.

Overall, thanks to much needed character focus, this was a strong closing to “Great Pacific”‘s strongest arc so far. Joe Harris has created in Chas Worthington a complex and flawed individual whose biggest enemy is his own determination. Surrounding him with side characters that are just as interesting and finally taking a closer look at how they tick has lead to a much more compelling narrative than when we last saw a story arc end. Teaming Harris’ character focused writing with Martín Morazzo’s artwork has created a gorgeous world filled with detail and characters that feel wholly unique. “Great Pacific” keeps getting better and better.

Final Verdict: 8.4


Alice W. Castle

Sworn to protect a world that hates and fears her, Alice W. Castle is a trans femme writing about comics. All things considered, it’s going surprisingly well. Ask her about the unproduced Superman films of 1990 - 2006. She can be found on various corners of the internet, but most frequently on Twitter: @alicewcastle

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