Broken Frontier

Mark Waid and BOOM! deserve a lot of credit for their innovative publicity campaigns, particularly the release of a FCBD edition featuring the first issues of both Irredeemable and Incorruptible.  This has paid off as Waid has received three 2010 Eisner nominations for Irredeemable and both series have sold out, generating multiple printings.  With DC and Marvel dominating the shelf-space and retailers hesitant to order indie books, a lot of readers will presumably give both books a second look or specifically order them as a result of FCBD.  For new and ongoing fans, this week sees the release of not only a new issue of Irredeemable, but a trade collection of the first four issues of Incorruptible and the beginning of a new story arc with Incorruptible #5.

While I have always been a huge fan of Waid's work, I admit my own reluctance in purchasing Incorruptible alongside Irredeemable primarily due to the $3.99 cost and the size of the individual issues.  Although the absence of advertisements interrupting the story flow is a welcome addition, the eight-page previews of forthcoming BOOM! titles alongside the twenty-two page storyline is difficult to justify in today's economy, especially if you're already purchasing his other title.  The story, however, does not disappoint as most of it is a transition between the previous four-issue arc and the beginning of something truly dramatic, which is saved until the very last page. 

The reader is not quite certain from the offset why Max Damage is saving this unknown girl nor why she's unwillingly conscripted into the good fight until midway through when the story's singular mission is finally revealed.  We learn more about Damage's powers and their temporal limitations, which was hinted at back in the second or third issue.  The transition, however, between Damage's villainous past and his newly adopted heroic role remain questionable as it’s not easy to buy how easily he can switch solely due to the incident where the Plutonian went rogue.  Turning over a new leaf, sure, and struggling with those ramifications, no problem, but the complete transformation we're witnessing just seems forced or too rushed at times, particularly in this issue with Jailbait's situation. 

This arc also welcomes a new artist to the book with Horacio Domingues taking over for Jean Diaz. Their two styles could not be more different.  Second artists always draw comparison with their predecessors, perhaps unfairly.  Where Diaz had sharp and crisp linework that brought a certain clean realism to the book, Domingues instead opts for a more blocked Kirby look blended with a cartoon approach that resembles Mike Allred or Darwyn Cooke.  Unfortunately, it lacks the strength of their work.  Although the art doesn't distract or detract from the narrative, neither does it reinforce the power of the story itself or the pacing of Waid's words.  As a story of one man's redemption, the art should capture that drama and Domingues' first efforts here fall short of those established so quickly by Diaz. 

That said, Waid delivers a solid and intriguing story, satisfying newcomers and old fans alike.