Wednesday Comments – Hinterkind, FBP & Coffin Hill

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Howdy! I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

I like to try out new Vertigo books. I do this for a couple reasons. First off, I’m a comic fan, so it’s sort of in my blood. I also do this because I’m curious what Vertigo has to offer, since it’s usually off the beaten path.

And of course I like to try them out because I don’t want to miss out on the next big thing. Who doesn’t want to have the bragging rights of being in on the ground floor of the next…um, well, Vertigo probably hasn’t had a “must read” launch in a decade. But that just means their due, right?

Well, that’s my logic and it’s why I’ve been looking forward to this next wave of Vertigo titles. I’m eager to see what they have to offer and find out the story they’re trying to tell. I’m not afraid to try new things.

Of course this means I’ve got complete runs books like Trigger, American Century, American Virgin, Greek Street and iZombie. That’s not a complaint, just an observation.

And after at least two issues of Vertigo’s newest titles, I’m ready to offer my thoughts on the current generation of Vertigo books.
(I’m excluding Trillium, Brother Lono and The Wake because a) they’re minis b) they’re from established creators with followings and c) Brother Lono is a spin-off.)

FBP had a bit of a clunky start. It was originally known as Collider. And the first issue of Collider was actually released before the book was hastily renamed FBP. It’s hard to believe that someone in DC’s headquarters didn’t do the due diligence to see if “Collider” was actually available.

It’s set in a world where natural disasters include spots where the laws of physics no longer apply occasionally pop up. The central figure is Adam, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Physics, who has daddy issues and is on the cusp of a conspiracy involving corporations and the government.

It’s an interesting read. For me, the physics part of it is a bit difficult to wrap my head around. Part of the problem is that I don’t know that much about physics other than obvious laws. But another problem is that, to me, the laws of physics rely so much on motion, which can be difficult to convey in two dimensions.

I’m five issues into FBP, but I’ve yet to really get invested in the characters. Simon Oliver is building a story, I’m just not connecting to it. But I am loving Robbi Rodriguez’s art.

Vertigo’s second new offering is Hinterkind. It’s set in a post-collapse world, where Mother Nature has reclaimed cities and mankind lives in small communities and has reverted to hunting and gathering. Oh and mythical creatures are returning to claim the planet and hunt mankind.

I definitely dig the post-apocalyptic/post-crash society. The setting of the story is NYC, but where rooftops are prime hunting grounds, which makes for a great visual. It’s only two issues into the story, but I’m intrigued enough to stick around for awhile. I want to find out what’s responsible for Angus’ changes. I’m also a sucker for a female protagonist like Prosper.

I’m still not completely all in on the mythical element, especially considering how much of a threat they are, I really don’t see what kind of hope mankind has. But I’ll stick around to see where Ian Edginton and Francesco and Trifogil are taking me.

Lastly we have Coffin Hill. Coffin Hill is about a wild child of privilege who grew up to be a cop. She also happens to come from a long line of witches and can’t quite escape her past.

I’m really enjoyed the book so far. I dig that there’s a single night in the past that changed everything. I like that in the two issues so far, we’ve gotten flashbacks to that night. And I like that so much is still a mystery. Where is Eve’s family now? What’s up with her near death experience? What happened to those missing kids?

Coffin Hill is the book that I’m rooting for the most. I really want to see what Caitlin Kittredge has planned for this title and it’s characters. I’m also completely in love with Inaki Miranda’s art. The designs of teen Eve and adult Eve really tell so much about the character.

Yeah, Coffin Hill is my fave so far. I just hope I didn’t jinx it.

Anyway, it’s Wednesday which means fresh new comics. Make sure you stop by your friendly local comic shop and pick some up.