The debut arc of Robert Kirkman’s “Thief of Thieves,” written by Nick Spencer, was well-received by critics. The real question, though, for this new kind of comic, is whether it can keep its momentum going with second writer James Asmus.
Written by James Asmus and Robert Kirman
Illustrated by Shawn MartinbroughRedmond’s big heist did not turn out as planned… and the aftermath shows that every action has an equal – and equally violent – reaction. Generation Hope writer JAMES ASMUS kicks off an all-new story arc!
Writer James Asmus has been given the difficult task of following up Nick Spencer’s top-notch first arc, and in particular must face one challenge that Spencer did not have to worry about: maintaining a sense of tonal continuity. The showrunner/writers’ room idea that series creator Robert Kirkman had for this series is certainly interesting, and could very well change how American comics are done, but it is still something new and untested in this medium (not including licensed comics such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” but that’s another topic altogether). Asmus, though, clearly paid close attention to Spencer’s previous seven issues. There is a definite consistency between the voices of characters in this issue and the one preceding it. That would be enough — so long as you have the characters down, you can pretty much go anywhere that is not too jarring of a shift — but Asmus is also sure to keep certain beats that were established in the first issue, such as the snappy transitional captions. Sure, long-running superhero comics series and multiple currently running comics featuring the same character might be somewhat similar to the writers’ room approach, albeit on different scales, but for those who were unsure about a more direct translation, Asmus has proved that, yes, it can be done.
That all being said, Asmus’s debut issue is not quite as nuanced as Spencer’s issues were. His characters may sound like they did under Spencer’s pen, but they no longer seem like fully fleshed out personalities. Redmond has one great character moment, but the rest of the major characters present in the issue are just kind of “there.” Even more problematic, though, is the issue’s plotting. In the grand scheme of things, Redmond’s actions in this issue are more the subplot than anything else; it’s where Augustus is and what happens to him that gets this next arc going. Augustus, though, takes the shotgun seat in this issue, even though his problems are what open and close the book, resulting in a slightly uneven read. Redmond is, no doubt, more fun to read about, and probably because he is more fun to write, but even the best character work can sometimes upset the delicate balance that is tight plotting. This should not be a problem now that the arcs plot has “started,” in a sense, but hopefully this does not become a recurring problem in the book; it’s supposed to be lifting the good qualties from the television approach, not the bad.
While the idea of rotating writers is a fascinating idea, keeping Shawn Martinbrough on as the sole artist for “Thief of Thieves” was a smart idea. With any television show, even if there are minor or even vast differences in the writing style from installment to installment, the fact that everything more or less looks the same can help keep a consistency that might otherwise be lacking if, say, the same story was written in prose. The same effect is in play here; there are certainly major differences between Spencer and Asmus’s writing styles, but the fact that both writers are being filtered through Martinbrough helps smoothen the transition. The other smart part of keeping Martinbrough is that he is, to use the professional description, the bee’s knees. His panel-to-panel storytelling is very refined, and he brings enough personality to the various characters he draws that you hardly even need to read their dialogue to feel like you know them. Since his first issue, Martinbrough has been a stylistic shoe-in for this book, and the only way this book’s visuals could fit its subject matter any more would be if the colors were just a little flatter. As is, everything comes off as a bit over-rendered in comparison to Martinbrough’s high-contrast heavy inking; if Felix Serrano could keep his colors looking as great as they do in, say, the first panel when Redmond arrives at Levon & Co., this would be one of the best looking books out right now.
“Thief of Thieves” second arc may not have started out with a bang, but that does not mean that this book lost all of its promise with the departure of Nick Spencer. James Asmus has the potential to write a really great story with this next arc, so long as he can focus his efforts a bit more. Even if he does not, the core story, characters and tone, plus the excellent art of Shawn Martinbrough are worth sticking around for until the next writer comes around. I’m optimistic for the rest of Asmus’s stay, though, despite my criticisms, and hope to see how he does once his arc gains some traction.
Final Verdict: 7.3 – Buy it!
