Broken Frontier

Greg Pak, responsible for the successful and haunting Magneto: Testament has returned to World War II-era Germany, this time to explore the monsters on the other side of the fence: specifically, Marvel’s chief fear monger, the Red Skull. Most known for terrorizing, Pak tackles this madman in an attempt to understand where he came from, and what made him the menace we all know today – the terrorizer of countless men and women, and foil to Captain America.

In the Afterword, Pak says that while it is important to celebrate the heroes who resisted violence, we must also, “struggle with the question of how everyday people can so willingly embrace evil.” Pak does an extremely effective job in portraying young Johann Schmidt, just another scared child living at the Munich Home for Wayward Boys. Beaten, abused, and frightened, you immediately sympathize with Johann, and through Pak’s narrative of violence and fear, you see how those who are treated monstrously can become monsters in their own right.

Mirko Colak brings a murky world of death and terror to life in the pages of Incarnate and, with the help of colorist Matthew Wilson, draws a picture of bleak grays and striking reds. The artwork is lean, but very efficient in giving you just enough color and detail without overwhelming your senses.

A strong opening issue, Pak and Colak manage to create an issue that not only hooks you from beginning to end, but actually has you empathizing for a boy who, for all intents and purposes, will become a monster. Something I’ve always believed in stories is that even if you know how something will end, it is always worth seeing how one gets to that ending. I’ll be with Red Skull: Incarnate until the last issue, thanks to the brutal honesty of Pak and Colak.