Far Sector #3: Freedom From Freedom

Only three issues in and Far Sector continues to make its mark on the comics industry thanks to newcomer N.K. Jemisin and her partner in crime, rising superstar Jamal Campbell. Campbell delivers exactly what fans have come to expect from him in terms of over-the-top gorgeous artwork with sharp layouts, striking colors, and dynamic pacing. I see a great many Eisner Awards in his future if he can maintain this level of consistency while remaining on schedule with his workload.

The great surprise in this series has been how quickly N.K. Jemisin has adapted to the medium of comics. In three short issues, she has brought Lantern Jo Mulein to life through outstanding character work and a mastery over providing Jo (and other supporting characters) with a distinct sense of voice. Short sequences in this issue start to give a sense of Jo’s past which will in time help fully flesh out the character but that backstory honestly feels unnecessary. Everything the reader needs to know about Jo to forge a bond with the character happens in her interactions with other characters.

In setting this series in a far away sector with no sense of time-relation to the rest of the DC Universe, the narrative has plenty of space to explore power dynamics in an uncanny setting that harkens to real world politics. The debates between Freedom and Security and class structure and power are tastefully done and create a visceral reaction for me as the struggle to have a voice in an increasingly corrupt culture strikes close to come for many. There are a number of books on the stands in the contemporary market that broach these topics but none are doing it on the level that Jemisin, Campbell and Bennett are executing here.