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“The Manhattan Projects” Volume 1

By | August 12th, 2020
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Welcome to our Summer Comics Binge of “The Manhattan Projects” by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra. I’ve read work by both creators before, namely Hickman’s X title relaunch and half of “East of West” (that’s on hold until I finish “The Manhattan Projects”), and Pitarra’s short-lived “Leviathan.” I’ll be reviewing a volume of the series every week. For anyone who, like me, hasn’t read the series before, for this first review I’ve tried to keep spoilers to a minimum.

Cover by Nick Pitarra

The Manhattan Projects Vol. 1
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Illustrated by Nick Pitarra
Colored by Jordie Bellaire
Lettered by Rus Wooton
Reviewed by Luke Cornelius

Collects issues #1-5!
What if the research and development department created to produce the first atomic bomb was a front for a series of other, more unusual, programs?

When I sat down to start the first volume of “The Manhattan Projects,” I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I’m reading “X-Men,” I’m always searching for the smaller threads and details crammed into every moment. Likewise, from what I’ve read of “East of West” (I’m halfway through the series, and will be putting it on hold over the next six weeks), there’s always a larger picture taking shape. The first volume of “The Manhattan Projects” had these elements but they were coated in heaps of fun.

Opening squarely in the realms of a seemingly historically accurate reality, we see General Leslie Groves recruiting Doctor Robert Oppenheimer into the Manhattan Project. What follows though, is anything but a history lesson. While we know the Manhattan Project to be a singular item, Groves quickly dismisses the singularity of the project as a “tolerable” lie to hide “much more interesting things.” Here, Hickman’s use of satire instantly dismisses the historicity of the series and allows us to hold the events of the series at a distance. If you came expecting historical accuracy, or a grounded and serious read, “The Manhattan Projects” might not be what you’re looking for. With history partially out of the window, Hickman starts introducing the (science) fiction. Over the course of a single page, we see materials being gathered from pan-dimensional space, mythological artifacts from discarded space, artificial intelligence, and the deconstruction of an alien spaceship. There’s nothing gradual about these reveals; it’s an even more direct attempt to undercut any sense of realism that might have been expected. Moreover, they’re seeds for the rest of the series; the outward appearance of the Project(s) is for the Earth-bound wartime conflicts, but their real interest lies beyond our atmosphere.

As we’ve come accustomed to, Hickman is quick to inject dozens of captivating ideas into the series’ scripts, and in the first issue there’s Oppenheimer’s multiple personalities and a locked up Einstein. These two are explored over the course of the volume to great effect, but those that aren’t (not in this volume, anyway) are different to his other works because there’s a strong sense of humor to them. There’s a throwaway reference to the “sentient origami incident,” which has led to extensive concern about all new paper documents in the Projects. There’s something equally absurdist, innovative, and funny, about the idea of sentient origami that sets the tone for the series.

It’s the combination of tone and volume of intricate ideas that is visualised perfectly through Nick Pitarra’s artwork. While Hickman’s script launches multiple ideas at the audience, Pitarra’s visuals do the same, with every detail always present in his panels; each architectural feature of the science labs is realised, as is every item in each office, and when there’s an action-filled long shot, you can see every character’s unique behaviour within the scene. It brings a great sense of scale to those action sequences, but in the smaller moments, it tries to ground the book in reality. Instead though, with Hickman’s persistent satire, Pitarra’s stylised realism is more hyper-realised, allowing the over-the-top script an environment to thrive in.

Jordie Bellaire’s coloring of the book works seamlessly with Pitarra’s art, with her colors continuing this sense of hyper-realism; there’s a clinical feel given to the science labs through washed out blue, green and grey hues which serves to highlight the book’s vibrantly colored eccentricities further. Bellaire doesn’t hold back in the flashback sequences though, which only use shades of red and blue. Not only does this color scheme give a visual cue to the reader that a flashback is taking place, but it also allows the focus to be drawn to the particular characters or objects which are important in the present.

Continued below

The best combinations between Pitarra and Bellaire come in the final issue of the volume. Here, without giving too much away for anyone looking to join me in reading the series, Pitarra’s fantastic designs for characters not of this world combine with a range of colors with incredible results. It’s these closing visuals which promise an even crazier, psychedelic future for the series.

Over the five issues in volume one, Hickman introduces us to a range of scientists who are involved in the project, each of whom share huge ambitions for more, although each character is driven by different things, be that, power, knowledge, or something else. This ambition leaves them severely lacking in the morality of their actions. Their ultimate goals give them all tunnel vision. In their quests for scientific advancements, there’s an huge number of casualties left in their wake. Even Dr. Daghlian, who, following an accident now ‘lives’ as a radioactive mass, is instructed to utilize his gift of extended life for the greater good of science. At one point, Hickman’s script literally warns the characters that the only thing humans have to fear is themselves although this is lost on the characters, for now at least. It will be interesting to see if the morality of the scientists develops over the course of the next five volumes, particularly if they have new authority figures governing them.

Another thing I will be interested in as the series continues, is whether any female characters are introduced, because they are glaringly absent in the first volume, although that is likely by design; It’s not hard to imagine, given the attitudes of the characters and the time period, that female voices would likely be ignored.

Overall, with this first volume, “The Manhattan Projects” is set up as a satirical reimagining of the real Manhattan Project, that has established a multitude of intriguing characters and concepts to be explored over the next five volumes.


//TAGS | 2020 Summer Comics Binge

Luke Cornelius

Luke is an English and American Literature and Creative Writing graduate. He likes spending his time reading comics (obviously), going out on long walks and watching films/TV series.

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