Written by Nick Spencer
Illustrated by Christian WardA spell-binding experiment in sequential storytelling unlike anything you’ve ever seen before! As Mark tries to evade capture by the makers of The Infinite Vacation, a high-speed chase through universes ensues. Every panel is a different world, as infinity explodes on the page – trust us, you’ve never seen one like this. Don’t miss the groundbreaking issue everyone will be talking about!
When we last saw “The Infinite Vacation” things… well, they got pretty f#&*ed up. The penultimate series of the much delayed miniseries is here, and with it come the high expectations still in place, thanks to the spectacular premiere issue. After a bit of a delay, are these expectations still met?
Find out after the cut.
Making comics with photographs is a tricky business. Ironically enough, images from real life run the risk of making a comic seem anything but alive, as photographs don’t always capture action and motion particularly well. When the photographs in particular are of people essentially sitting around, the problem is even more pronounced. Photographer Kendall Bruns, however, does a good job in getting the people he photographs to overact, in a sense, in order to make the photographed pages seem less static than they might be otherwise. Using photographs for a sequence that is essentially a guy sitting around and talking to the reader would be suicide in any other case, but Bruns avoids all the pitfalls inherent in the method. Sure, it’s only a two pages sequence – not including the very well designed PSA page – but it deserves recognition.
As for the bulk of the comic, Nick Spencer is still on fire. Everyone talks about great first issues and great finales, but not enough people discuss what makes a good penultimate issue. This issue embodies the whole idea of the calm before the storm. The action that occurs is presented through a flashback, allowing the issue to take on an introspective tone. Mark reaches the turning point of his existential climax, allowing himself to pull himself together and come up with a plan to topple his adversaries. This is exactly what needs to be done in a penultimate issue – the hero learns something about himself before the final showdown occurs – and it’s executed very well. The dialogue is sincere, the pacing is ideal, and Spencer is able to use the multiple reality device to bring about what some might consider to be a tired moral or message in a unique and refreshing way. The rest of the issue is essentially setup for the final issue, but in a way that builds excitement without showing Spencer’s hand. As always, the story and the moral is not what is of primary importance, it’s how the writer gets there, and Spencer has definitely taken the scenic route.
My one complaint about the writing is the “Men is predictable” story page 14, but that’s more of an editorial complaint. Moving on.
Unfortunately, I can’t say the same things about Christian Ward. Ward’s art is without a doubt the main reason I fell in love with this comic from the first issue, but it’s almost reaching the point that I am sticking around for the story despite the art. His line work has become incredibly sloppy, and while the occasional panel might be clean and refined, the bad far outweigh the good. It’s a real shame – his layouts are still just as dazzling as in the first one, perhaps even more so, but it’s almost as if he is getting distracted trying to live up to the acclaim he earned with the first two issues. While intricate layouts are certainly what separate good comics from great ones, poor lines are much easier to notice than boring layouts. It’s unfortunate, and maybe even unfair, but it’s true. As is, it’s hard to enjoy his honestly spectacular layouts because his under-par lines distract the reader. Thankfully, his colors haven’t suffered at all – they’re still some of the best you’ll find in any book on the shelves – but his art is so close to being astounding and falls flat instead.
“The Infinite Vacation” has been notoriously delayed – there’s even a joke about it on the recap page – but I feel like this issue could have used a little bit more time. I would have preferred to wait twice as long in between issues if it meant Ward could have put out the astounding work that we know he can accomplish. The layouts are there, so hopefully that rough yet precise style he had down to a science in the first two issues will return in the finale.
Final Verdict: 6.5 – Buy it if you have been reading the mini, pass otherwise.
