Reviewer: Mathan “Mildly Asthmatic†Erhardt
Story Title: Crash
Written by: Kelley Puckett
Penciled and Inked by: Warren Pleece
Lettered by: Pat Brosseau
Colored by: Brian Haberlin
Editor: Matt Idelson
Publisher: DC Focus/DC Comics
In the last issue we met Tom, a guy with serious medical conditions. His life basically sucks more than you normal high school kid’s. He considers suicide but changes his mind, just in time to walk in front of a semi!
Not surprisingly Tom is still standing in front of the oncoming semi as this issue begins. His life begins to flash before his eyes. Birthdays celebrated in hospitals as a result of his condition, finding comfort in his father’s lap. He remembers the first time his mother really explained how he was different from other kids, and the heartbreaking look on her face.
He remembers losing himself in comic books when his parents fought. He remembers fishing with his father. He remembers when his father left and he had to be strong as his mother broke down. He remembers the recent past too. He remembers his fights with his mother. He remembers his love for superheroes, and his dreams of sex. The last thing that he remembers was the time he asked his mother about death.
The next thing that we see is a body bouncing on the road like a rag doll, the result of the impact. Then we see a profile of the semi, and witness Tom stepping out from its grille. When it hit Tom, it stopped in its tracks and that broken body belongs to the driver who, apparently doesn’t believe in seatbelts.
Tom is in shock. Another car arrives as Tom leaves the scene. He demolishes a gate on his way home. He finds his house key has is bend the result of his accident. He then goes to bed. His mother, who is still overprotective and nagging, awakens him but Tom doesn’t mind because he’s invulnerable. In fact he even tells his mom that he loves her. Then he collapses and starts bleeding from the mouth.
Puckett is telling a frustrating story. Kelley nails the life flashbacks perfectly. The innocence of Tom as a child is perfectly conveyed in that scene (which rings very true.) But Puckett is keeping all the secrets hidden. He seems to be playing everything very close to this chest. The issue doesn’t provide much to read, but what is there is very powerful and moving. Still it’s frustrating to leave that much unsaid.
Pleece nails this issue. The look on Tom’s mother’s face on page three. If you were in that position as a child (and I was) you know that look. I still remember that scene in my life, and Pleece illustrates it perfectly. And the actual accent scene looks great. The limp body bouncing on the road and Tom stepping from the semi are some great examples of visual storytelling.
