Like a lot of readers, we kind of missed the boat on this title when it came out last week – it’s not available digitally, and not everybody’s LCS was stocking it. This, of course, is what re-ordering is for, and if straightforward vigilante action is your cup of tea, it looks like you will want to snag yourself a copy of this Black Mask title.
Written by Matt Miner
Illustrated by Javier Sanchez ArandaA hard-edged vigilante series about two young heroes who avenge the torture of animals, created by writer and real-life dog rescuer Matt Miner (Occupy Comics).
By day, Damon’s a relatively mild-mannered barista. But when night comes, he pulls on a ski mask and sets about some pretty serious vigilante justice. How serious? The opening scene of this comic involves Damon clearing out the furry denizens of a dogfighting compound before torching the place. Nobody gets killed, but Damon’s message comes across pretty clear.
In other words, subtlety isn’t exactly this issue’s forte, but then, I’m not sure there is a subtle way to talk about animal abuse. It’s kind of a catch-22: a comic centering on vigilante justice, however well-intentioned, is probably going to come out angry, and the fact that these kinds of animal abuses actually do happen of course further justifies the aggressive tone. There just isn’t much pleasure to be found in the perusal of a book that feels a bit like it’s preaching at you, particularly when you obviously agree with its fundamental principle, i.e., hurting animals is bad.
As the comic progresses, following Damon’s everyday life and gradually giving us a sense of what his commitment to vigilante justice entails, it feels like more glamour is built up around the violence of his actions than the compassion that actually helping the animals entails. The last page in particular pushes the saccharine factor without getting at any real feeling of compassion. The criticism I’m leveling here isn’t that the comic is upsetting; of course it’s upsetting. But the horrors that this issue presents us aren’t meaningfully upsetting. The darkness of the material hasn’t stacked up toward some aspiration, some message, some feeling of hope – at least, not yet.
The comic is at its best when contrasting Damon’s tactics with the significantly noisier methods employed by his friend, Jeanette. She’s the type to get arrested at protests, while Damon does most of his work in secret, and his conflicted feelings about her role in the fight they both participate in are nicely elucidated, adding a touch of complexity to an otherwise simple narrative.
Aranda’s art, like Miner’s writing, works in broad strokes, getting down the general idea of a panel without worrying too much about detail. It’s solid, no-frills storytelling, with some inconsistency in terms of characters’ appearances not detracting too much from the flow. And Aranda does know when to push the grotesque or horrifying element of a page, deeply impressing on the reader the cruelty that Damon’s fighting against and the high stakes involved. Joaquin Pereyra’s vibrant colours step it all up a notch, adding extra visual interest during scenes that otherwise feel a touch familiar.
“Liberator” is, above all, a polemical comic, and as such it serves its purpose well. It’s redeemed more by its message than by the actual nuts and bolts of its storytelling, and those coming to this comic expecting nuance or introspection will likely be disappointed. This said, the grittiness and high stakes of the story are sure to win this series its fair share of fans. And you can feel good about giving this title a try: 30% of profits go toward animal rescue efforts.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – Browse/Take the fact that it exists as a reminder to donate to your local animal rescue operation
