As arc-based storytelling becomes the norm and decompression reigns, issues often fall into one of two (negative) categories: either nothing exciting happens, or nothing of substance happens. The penultimate issue of “Snapshot” reminds writers and readers alike that, yes, you can have your cake and eat it, too.
Written by Andy Diggle
Illustrated by JockHunted by a ruthless killer who has framed them for murder, Jake and Callie try to infiltrate the mysterious gated community at the heart of the deadly conspiracy. But nothing can prepare them for what they will find there. Continuing the new thriller from the creators of The Losers and Green Arrow: Year One!
The first chunk of the issue is devoted to “the reveal” — the first one, at least, as there is obviously more to this story that we don’t know about yet. This kind of moment can prove troublesome to some writers; it can be really easy to make the moment of revelation seem like the climax, and spend pages on panels of talking heads laying it all out for the reader, when what the reader really wants is for the villain to have his or her comeuppance. Writer Andy Diggle is craftier than that, though, and smartly weaves the (semi) resolution of a secondary conflict into this portion that could easily have just been a dull moment of “hey, here’s what has been going on.” We are approaching this story from Jake’s point of view, and while he may be curious as to what is going on around him, he is certainly much more interested in coming out alive than finding out exactly what the hitman’s plan is. By the addition of Callie and her more personal connection to the events, we as readers have more of an investment in exactly what our antagonist is up to, how he’s accomplishing it, and why exactly he’s doing it. On top of that, Diggle is wise enough to avoid dragging this out the entire issue, and fits in everything we need to know (for now) as quickly as possibile, without reverting to walls of words, and then shifts gears abruptly — in a good way! — to the noirish action this team does so well.
It’s tricky to say exactly how a comic writer can be great at writing action. Many will say that a good action writer simply knows when to get out of the artist’s way, but there’s more to it than that. As in-your-face as the genre is — it’s called action for Pete’s sake — the things that make action sing really require a touch of subtlety. This issue includes one of the staples of the action genre: a car chase. At this point, though, we need more than a car chase to be excited — they’re a dime a dozen (though maybe not in comics), so what makes this unique? The common solution almost always involves some kind of timer: the bomb is about to go out, the driver’s buddy is bleeding out, the cure the driver is shipping can only last so long outside of sub-zero temperatures — whatever. It’s very hard to make something like this not seem contrived. A smart audience knows that pretty much any timed event only exists in this fictional world to increase the suspense of the inevitable car, spaceship, or Waverunner chase scene (all three if it’s a Bond flick). Without spoiling too much, not only does Diggle avoid the tired “We don’t have enough time!” trope, but the setback he has in store for our protagonists is entirely natural; knowing what we do about Jake and where he lives, it’s entirely believable, and seems more like a stroke of luck for Diggle than something he set about doing (again, this is a good thing). Plus — and, spoilers here — have you ever been in the car with someone driving for the first, second or third time? Now imagine them trying to evade other cars and gunshots. That’s terrifying.
Jock is, without a doubt, an incredibly gifted artist. He has an exciting style that is often imitated but never matched, and his eye for composition is outstanding. Still, he is not without his faults. The first portion of the issue isn’t as strong as it could be, primarily because, as dynamic as Jock’s bodies are, his faces often seem carved from stone. Character driven exchanges like the one that the first half focuses on are his main weak point as an illustrator, and the focus on faces that often comes with heavy conversation also shows that his can often blend together. For whatever reason, it isn’t as much of a problem when he draws people shouting — he allows his lines to loosen up a bit, and gets across a bit more natural emotion — and, thankfully, this issue has a pretty decent amount of yelling. Of course, once the book enters its more action-packed segment, Jock is in his element. While Jock’s figures have a life to them, the thing that makes him one of the top action comics guys is that how he knows how to swing the panels around across different views, creating an illusion of movement, as if either the object, the reader, or both were being propelled across the page, and for scenes involving vehicles, this talent is essential. I’m almost worried that between this issue and David Aja’s “Hawkeye” #3, newbie comic illustrators are going to think “Drawing a car chase won’t be too hard,” because these two titans have made it seem so damn easy. For those of you who haven’t yet seen a billion “chases” that just look like panel after panel of parked car, let me tell you: it isn’t.
As it races to its conclusion, “Snapshot” is a prime example of one of the finest duos in comics doing what they do best. From the first issue, this mini has been a well-executed ride that blends noir and action without much of a hitch — a volatile combination that sometimes leads to things such as Frank Miller’s The Spirit. This issue delivers both on a plot development level and a guns firing, cars zooming level, showing that Diggle understands how to balance an issue, and Jock’s art looks as great as always (with a few minor quibbles). There’s no question about this one.
Final Verdict: 8.8 – Buy it!
