Reviewer: Tim Stevens
Story Title: Tag: Chapter 2
Written by: Brian K. Vaughan
Pencilled by: Tony Harris
Inked by: Tom Feister (with Harris)
Colored by: J.D. Mettler
Lettered by: Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Publisher: Wildstorm Comics
(First off, I just want to note that the teaser was meant sarcastically. I know that sarcasm does not always comes across online, so I thought I’d take a second to clear that up.)
In this installment of the tale of New York’s first superhero mayor, Hundred continues to debate with his staff the implications of performing the wedding service of Deputy Mayor Dave Wiley’s brother and his brother’s boyfriend. In flashbacks, we see the lengths that Germans will go to to acquire information about the strange symbol that seems to have given Hundred his abilities and in the present day, that symbol continues to wreak havoc in the city.
I’ve got to give it to Vaughan…the man knows how to tell a story. This book has so many things on its mind that it could easily degenerate into an awful mess and yet, somehow, it does not. Vaughan keeps each of the balls nicely in the air with nary a hiccup in the narrative.
The politics do not feel preachy to me (although, admittedly, with the exception of school vouchers, I agree with the sides being taken) and Vaughan does a good job of bring up both the policy and superficial concerns of the paths that Hundred wants to pursue. For example, in this case, the staff not only warns him about the polling numbers, New York State Law, and the general tone of the country, but Journal Moore (weirdest name ever) points out that an unmarried, attractive, well dressed man who comes out for gay marriage may very well have rumors to contend with regarding his own sexuality. Much like Hundred, the idealist in me (or you) might be repelled by that notion or that it would matter, but the reality of politics is that it all matters.
On the superhero side, the opening action sequence continues to reveal more and more of the Great Machine’s past while still not ruining the mystery of how all these pieces are going to fit together. The fact that the symbol that gave him his powers is becoming ubiquitous on the cityscape in New York and causing trouble wherever it pops up is only serving to complicate that puzzle further.
As good as Vaughan is, I do not have enough words of praise to shower upon the art staff. Harris is a talent; there is no doubt of that. His best work this time around comes in the scene on the subway where a woman becomes enraptured by the slowing morphing symbol. The scene builds and builds to a brutal end and it is accomplished with only fourteen panels on two pages. Great stuff.
Of course, Harris’s art would not look nearly as great if it wasn’t for Feister and Mettler. Mettler in particular is doing just outstanding job on coloring, alternating because the warm yellows and oranges of the office, the light green wash of flashbacks and the blue tint of the outdoors.
Finally, just because I almost never show a letterer love, let me mention Fletcher’s work on Hundred’s “Great Machine” voice. It is a simple, but completely effective technique.
