CREDIT: Image Comics
Rating: 5/5 – Rock Bottom is a Good Place to Start Building a Story.
by ComicSpectrum EiC Bob Bretall.
Most people are familiar with Eric Powell from The Goon, his popular creator-owned opus starring a lovable reprobate who exists in a world of voodoo priests, zombies, and violent gang-style action. With Big Man Plans Powell teams up with co-creator/co-writer Tim Wiesch tells a dark tale of intolerance that begets violence and leads to revenge set in the much more real world of 1979. No zombies or voodoo, but this heart wrenching story of struggle didn’t need the supernatural trappings, it grabbed me from page one and didn’t let go until the end.
I will point out that this is not for kids. Violence, profanity, and nudity spice up this story ably illustrated by Powell in his signature watercolor style. For the right audience, this is a symphony for the eyes. Each story element building on and enhancing the overall tale of “Big Man”, a dwarf who has had a rough go of it from boyhood. But you know the old saying about whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, on that basis Big Man is a strong man indeed and woe to those who screw with him. This debut issue delves into his boyhood and young adulthood so we can get an idea of the forces that shaped him into the man we see in 1979, back from Vietnam with a chip on his shoulder the size of the moon. He’s had all he can take, and he’s not going to take any more.
This is not going to be for everyone, but for people who like this kind of thing, it doesn’t get any better than this. The art and story meld perfectly to tell the tale of Big Man and he is set on a path that is leading him back to his hometown in Tennessee. I know one thing, I would not want to be one of the people who did whatever set him off. As Big Man says: “Rock bottom is a good place to build from. Rock bottom is also a great place to tear the f^#king foundations down from.” I’m looking forward to the story Powell and Wiesch build from the foundation set in this issue and anticipating the violent glory that will result from Big Man tearing down the foundations.
Reviewed by: Bob Bretall
(bob@comicspectrum.com)
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