Review – The Infinite Loop #4 (of 6) (IDW Publishing)

Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writer: Pierrick Colinet
Artist: Elsa Charretier
Release Date: 22nd July, 2015

It’s everybody’s favorite time traveling janitor, back to settle the score and clean up the mess that she and the infinite numbers of her past self have all tried and failed to do. By melding past present and future together and warping the fabric of reality, Teddy is calling out the bosses so that she can save the love of her life Ano not – just for herself, but for all the Teddys of all the infinite timelines.

In the last issue we had Teddy hiding away with Ano in her own secret world where both are free to be with each other. Ano wishes nothing more than the two of them to live a life together without fear and desires to fight back against the people who want to suppress them, but Teddy knows how dangerous that is for both of them and refuses to come out of her closet world. Ano represents the desire for change and freedom in society and by keeping her hidden away, Teddy is keeping herself – and the world – from realising that change is, in fact, good.

Hopping in and out of different time lines can be quite confusing to follow and it can take you a couple reads to get to grips of which Teddy is our Teddy, but it’s the art that really sells the chaos of tearing into different time streams, with worm holes popping up at every corner and little textures and fabrics of reality floating off the pages. Each time stream gives us more insight into Teddy’s past, having grown up with a mother who believes in backwards social views like “War is Peace” and “Ignorance is Strength”. All these little moments combine to perfectly convey what it feels like to be a gay or lesbian in a society wants to try to suppress you. There is a powerful moment when Teddy travels back to 1964 Mississippi, the day of the civil rights murders brought on by white supremacists. Teddy’s reaction alone is enough to explain why she locks herself away in her own world, afraid to show who she really is for fear of her own life.

I could go on for hours about this series, and talk in great length about it’s different themes and analogies but really it’s just something you have to experience for yourself. It’s beautifully written and expertly crafted into a great example of what it means to find happiness and the power of not being ashamed of who you are. As the writer puts it, it’s a story about celebrating love. So let’s all celebrate loving this book.

Rating: 4/5.

PREVIEW ARTWORK
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