Broken Frontier

When the first issue of Skyscrapers hit the stands, everyone wanted to know when the next one was due. Well, it=s here and it=s incredible.

This issue features stories with several different characters as leads, ranging from the vulnerable kid we saw last issue to a drunken wife-beater. The (nameless) child from last issue once again finds himself stricken with more sadness, while doubt about his beliefs comes into play quite starkly. His story begins to intertwine with that of the drunken man and the other lead characters and an appropriately dark chain of events begins.

Joshua W. Cotter established himself as quite a talent in the first issue of this series and here he shows that he will be around for a while. This story keeps up the raw, painful emotion of previous ones, but its structure is better. AA Beacon in an Otherwise Dark World@ is the most ambitious story Cotter has tried thus far and it pays off. Cotter knows exactly how to twist the knife which he put in our hearts from the very beginning of his story and does just that particularly well with a horrible image of death. To make it even more poignant, he has made the main character so relatable that his readers feel an even sharper pain. It is hard to imagine someone reading this book and not being affected emotionally.

Although some bits of his stories have intersected in the past, never has Cotter interwoven quite so many parts into one unified vision. Interesting tidbits of religious philosophy fall right in line with the breakdown of a doomed relationship. Cotter=s unification here is unique and interesting, while the final conclusion stands out as the strongest moment of the series thus far. This story ends in a moment of justice, but one dark enough that it fits perfectly with the tone. Startling images and emotions abound in this book, coming to a peak with the last scene.

One of the nice things about a writer also drawing his or her own book is that the art style generally, then, suits the tone of the story perfectly. That belief is never more true than in this instance as Cotter=s dark, detailed art truly illustrates the sadness and realism of his stories. It would seem that the fact that his characters are anthropomorphic cats would detract from said realism, but in fact adds an intriguing emotional touch considering the inclusion of an actual cat into the story. Gorgeous, detailed, and dark, rarely has an art style so perfectly suited a series as Cotter=s does with Skyscrapers.

The entire comic world should take note. In the midst of the superhero genre currently obsessing over dark stories, here we have a dark story done right in the correct arena for it. Don=t read Skyscrapers without something to dry your tears. It=s that powerful.