We’ve reached the halfway point of “Strange Nation”, and if things in this MonkeyBrain title weren’t weird before, they’re certainly bazonkers now. Get your tinfoil hats on.
Written by Paul Allor
Illustrated by Juan RomeraSasquatch Civil War! Alien Invasion! Massive Amounts of Exposition! Norma discovers the startling truth about the Duma Corporation’s plans, and Jesse mounts a rescue mission in the tiny town of Sydsville.
Sasquatches mob the streets of Sydsville, and tucked away in a cabin is one forlorn grey. What do these events have to do with one another? Norma’s about to find out, and the truth is pretty hard to handle.
The solicit gives it to you straight: there really is a lot of exposition going on here as Norma proceeds with an important interview. But even though this is only a 12-page issue, the exposition isn’t overwhelming, and doesn’t occupy too much of the issue as a whole. It helps that the character delivering it is so upfront with us, and has so much reason to be devastated by the news he’s relaying; we get the facts and their emotional import all at once, and that makes them hit home with intensity.
Intercut with the exposition are the events going down in Sydsville, which make more and more sense as the issue goes on. We start to understand what Jesse, who is actually on the scene, doesn’t yet have context for, and the dichotomy between what we know and what he knows adds palpable tension to the events.
In the middle of it all (and again, despite the limited page count of the issue) Allor manages a nifty little bait-and-switch; a MacGuffin established in the first issue turns out to be a hollow piece of evidence indeed, the tiniest puzzle piece in a massive and complex picture. This gets addressed as part of the interview, and the fact that it means so little adds a certain direness to Norma’s investigations.
Speaking of baiting and switching, it would seem that Juan Romera’s art keeps to a broad cartooning style – that is, until a heavy moment comes up, and then Romera crane-kicks you right in the feelings. It’s all the more surprising when you find yourself confronting very human emotion in a non-human character – a feat Romera pulled off back in the first issue with Joe, and does yet again in this issue with our grey. The result is a wrenching (if slightly abrupt) final page, and a hell of a way to move into the second half of the series.
The sasquatch attack, meanwhile, coming across viscerally and with a nice feeling of scale. There’s a frying-pan-to-the-fire moment that feels just right, balancing a simplified and campy compositional element with the terrors it’s inflicting. At the same time, Jesse’s reaction keeps us very much engaged with the incredible event he’s witnessing. It’s an intriguing balance: Romera parses out visual detail just as Allor parses out plot points, favouring clarity over flourish in a way that makes the emotional moments stand out even more.
That’s the title’s main strength: despite the wackiness of the premise, Allor’s careful pacing combines with Romera’s aptitude for portraying emotion in a way that keeps this story grounded and – in its own odd way – relatable. And now that we’re halfway through, it’s clear that this series is building up in something impressive, even though – or especially – because it’s breaking our hearts every now and then. For anyone who appreciates a beautifully-structured story, this conspiracy should go straight to the top (of your reading list).
Final Verdict: 8.8 – Buy
