Review – Plutona #1 (Image Comics)

Publisher: Image Comics
Writer(s): Jeff Lemire, Emi Lenox
Art: Emi Lenox, Jordie Bellaire
Release Date: 2nd September 2015

As story premises go, Jeff Lemire’s Plutona ranks as one of the most intriguing in recent memory, centring on a disparate group of suburban teens who inadvertently stumble upon the body of a dead superhero in the woods close to their hometown. It’s a fairly simple concept, and thanks in large part to Emi Lenox’s wonderfully composed opening page, it’s one I found myself immediately invested in.

From the tension and intrigue of the opening, we delve into the backgrounds of the loosely connected characters and the world they inhabit. Before he brings the group together, Lemire introduces us to each in turn, with Lenox’s panel compositions subtly suggestive of possible relationships, and Jordie Bellaire’s shifting colour tones neatly accentuating the home life and background of each.

As with any opening issue, the primary focus is on character development and world-building, as such the pacing of the issue is, for the most part, fairly pedestrian, with some sequences feeling a tad drawn out, although perhaps that had more to do with my desire to learn more about the fallen hero after the superb opening hook. Lemire sure knows how to close a chapter, though; using similarly powerful imagery to guarantee you’ll pick up the next issue, before providing a brief but welcome backup story about the titular heroine’s final hours.

There are elements that place the story in the present or recent past (Teddy’s laptop, for example), but the book’s setting, art-style, and ‘Breakfast Club-esque’ central group exude a distinct and highly appealing retro vibe that’s a perfect fit for this type of story. If you imagine ‘Stand By Me’ directed by Steven Spielberg and written by John Hughes, you’re probably in the right ballpark. The art in particular left a positive impression, with Lenox’s cutesy anime-type character design and Bellaire’s dreamy colours helping the story flow seamlessly from cover to cover, belying the edgier tone of Lemire’s script.

With Lemire’s name on the cover, Plutona always looked like a safe bet, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. With an intriguing mystery at it’s heart, relatable characters, and gorgeous artwork, you’d have to be a dead superhero not to pick it up.

Rating: 4/5.

The Writer of this piece was: Martin Doyle
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