REDCOAT #21 (GHOST MACHINE/IMAGE COMICS)
In the aftermath of the murder of his family by the hands of Benedict Arnold, Simon Pure finds himself paralyzed in a wheelchair. Albert points out that all Simon has to do is be reborn and his body will go back to normal. But Simon is too depressed and doesn’t want to fix himself in this way. What happens when an immortal doesn’t want to live anymore?
Redcoat #21 - Created By Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch - Colors By Brad Anderson - Letters By Rob Leigh - Edited By Brian Cunningham - Published By Ghost Machine/Image Comics
Credit: Ghost Machine/Image Comics
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
WRITING:
This is one deep and meaningful issue that deals with a lot of heavy topics. Geoff Johns explores the psyche of a man that lost what is most important to him. What makes this even harder is the fact that Simon is immortal. Even if he wanted to throw in the towel, he is unable to truly do that. This makes the weight of the depression he is feeling even heavier. Johns writes Albert to be his angel in this issue. At every step being there for him and encouraging him. When the time is right Albert even gives him the hard speech that puts everything back into perspective. What this issue lacks in action scenes, it more than makes up for in pure emotional drama. This may be a hard read for some as it gets really emotionally draining, but its message is so beautiful and meaningful that I encourage those who it hits home for to really finish the issue and hear the message. To lighten the mood a bit, Johns does add a surprise at the end that will surely be where the story goes next.
ARTWORK:
The artwork in this issue captures all the emotion and drama of the story. Bryan Hitch really captures the pain and agony Simon finds himself in. The depression really shows on his face, and this makes you feel even more for him. Hitch makes Simon look like he is deteriorating and letting himself go physically which shows his emotional state even more. The heavy tones and depressing nature of this issue plays out in the settings and backgrounds as well. The city looks glum; well Simon’s house feels like a jail cell instead of a place of residence. The colors really bring out the gloominess of these scenes, as Brad Anderson really captures the tones of the story with his pallet. Together the art team really captures the emotional turmoil that Simon is in and this enhances the story a great deal.
Check Out My Review of REDCOAT #20
Final Thoughts:
Redcoat #21 trades relentless action for a thoughtful, emotionally resonant exploration of grief, depression, and the burden of immortality. Geoff Johns gives Simon’s despair real weight while using Albert’s compassion to deliver the issue’s hopeful message. Bryan Hitch and Brad Anderson deepen that impact with expressive character work and a bleak atmosphere that reflects Simon’s state of mind. It is a heavy read, but also a meaningful one and the final surprise provides just enough intrigue to point the series toward its next chapter.
FINAL GRADE: 9.3/10
Let me know your thoughts on Redcoat #21 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
