Coda #8: “He’ll Be Fine”

This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites and it seems to get better with every issue. This book was outstanding in every way; from the emotional story telling, to the art which ranges from bright and exciting to gloomy and distorted, to the page layouts which at times gave subtle foreshadowing and at others lent an added intensity to the action.

In one issue, Serka went from a seemingly dull, almost one-dimensional character to possibly the most deep and interesting of the series. Both emotionally and visually, we really get to see the true range of her character and it is breathtaking in it’s execution.

The contrasting art styles used by Matías Bergara perfectly mirrored the emotions of the characters, with dazzling, colorful scenes with fragile yet kinetic line work depicting the unsure yet determined Hum and drab scenes with soft smooth lines showing Serka with her cold, steely resolve.

The page layouts were one of my favorite things about the issue. One of the first pages includes panels laid out in a broken spiral design, forshadowing the state of Hum and Serka’s relationship throughout the issue. Inset panels are used throughout the issue provide a more dramatic flow to the story and add a level of drama to the action while in the climax of the issue, incomplete broken looking panels are used to convey the uncontrollable fury of a massive sandstorm.

Almost every aspect of this issue was captivating and enthralling to me. I’m excited to see where this outstanding creative team takes these characters from here.