What if we discovered the means to travel through time? Mark Millar, Sean Murphy, and Matt Hollingsworth bring us a gorgeously intriguing first issue of a miniseries that answers just such a question. “Chrononauts” #1 has a fun premise, breathtaking artwork, and dashes of humor that make for an issue that demands multiple reads.
Written by Mark Millar
Illustrated by Sean MurphyFrom MARK MILLAR (Kick-Ass) and SEAN GORDON MURPHY (Punk Rock Jesus) comes a bromance for the ages! Corbin Quinn and Danny Reilly are two buddies who love to have fun. They’re also scientific geniuses. When their research leads them to a time-traveling adventure, will they use their knowledge for the good of all mankind? Or use the space-time continuum for their own ends? This is the story of man’s first, televised steps through the time-stream and everything going wrong in the process.
Man on the moon? Yawn. Mars Rover? Child’s play. Time travel? Now that’s something extraordinary. The idea of traveling back and forth from the present to the past or the future has been explored in some classic superhero tales. “Chrononauts” #1 posits the question of how would our “real” world react to something so inconceivable and fraught with so much possibility. Two men of science, Corbin Quinn and Danny Reilly, build a machine that gives humanity the means to explore the past. Corbin is the more serious-minded one, while Danny is the free-spirited (and sometimes inappropriate) one. Mark Millar and Sean Murphy give us a glimpse into their lives and personalities while giving us just enough of the story to beckon us back for the next issue.
Millar strips this debut issue down to only the barest of plot points and of what we need to know about his main characters. Tedious exposition and explanations are nonexistent. He entices us with enough revelations and characterization to build a firm base of a story upon before he goes full throttle with the ending. Restraint is not usually a word used to describe Millar’s writing style, yet he wields it with expertise. Questions are asked and very few are answered. Exploration of various themes and fantastic places involving the book’s characters is teased and it’s exciting to imagine how and where this miniseries will progress and take us.
The pace of this issue appears deceptive at first. Millar is able to show so much at what appears to be a leisurely pace, yet the story reads quite quickly. There is no filler in this book and that can be a bit jarring for readers used to medicore writers adding superfluous scenes in order to pad an issue. Millar has succeeded in introducing us to a concept that has been explored many times before while adding his own spin on it. Fun and complex characters are the main ingredients he tosses to Murphy, allowing the artist to flesh out “Chrononauts” #1 into a true co-production.
Millar is known for working with the best artists and Murphy is no exception. His art is clearly the issue’s star attraction. Millar allows Murphy to steal the spotlight, which highlights the unique intricacies of his artwork. Judging by issue one, they are consummate co-storytellers. The reason this issue demands multiple reads is the detail Murphy brings to his art. Whether in a large scale scene or in more intimate moments, there was some little thing I caught the second and third time around. A panorama that takes place in United States history is gorgeously rendered, and deserving of a protracted stare. In another scene, Murphy closes in on Quinn’s contemplative face. Emotion bursts from his visage, with the shading of Murphy’s pencils adding a darkness to a character that obviously has multiple demons in his past. Like Millar does with words, Murphy tells a story with his impeccable artistic vision.
“Chrononauts” #1 also showcases Murphy’s artistic versatility. He’s just as comfortable depicting a scene from the far flung past as he is bringing a time machine to glorious life. The mixture of technology and the past is cleverly on display when Corbin is flying through the time machine. Roman numerals float around him like disembodied numbers from an old fashioned clock as he hurtles toward his destination. Murphy has clearly done his research and it aids in transforming his work into a versatile wonderland that is just as amazing in the present as it is in the past.
Continued belowHumor is unexpectedly sprinkled throughout the issue and staged effectively by writer and artist. Whether they were ideas in Millar’s script or additions made by Murphy, there were quite a bit visually humorous scenes. A pose showing off a male derriere and a certain flipped finger fit the personality perfectly for a certain character. An unexpected hold-up by gunpoint and a room full of nuns bring a wacky levity that isn’t too wacky and are just more examples of Millar and Murphy enjoying themselves making us laugh.
Having worked with Hollingsworth so successfully in the past, it was almost a guarantee that Murphy’s work would be enhanced by Hollingsworth’s colors. The bright orange and yellow of a Turkish desert sky appears as if your fingers would be scorched if you happened to touch the page. The scenes in the past have a brilliant quality that contrasts with that of the present day. Hollingsworth makes unusual, yet powerfully effective, color palette choices when transitioning from the present to the past. The present contains more muted colors, while the past feels like heightened reality. The colors during past historical events are bold and crisp, making for a creative decision that exudes symbolism and adds a haunting quality to a relatively boisterous book. Hollingsworth deserves just as much credit as Murphy for setting the tone for “Chrononauts” and bestowing a singular touch.
Millar and Murphy are clearly co-storytellers in “Chrononauts” #1. Along with Hollingsworth, each one of them are having a fun time while building their story. This issue does what any solid first issue must do to reel in an audience: marry an intriguing premise with gorgeous artwork. This union has clearly succeeded.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Sean Murphy’s magnificent artwork is definitely the draw of “Chrononauts” #1, yet the story by Mark Millar definitely piques my interest so far.
