CREDIT: Titan Comics
Rating: 3.5/5 – What’s in the Quiet Room?
by ComicSpectrum reviewer Brett Downard
I like think of The Troop as X-Men if it was a Vertigo book. It has everything a “superpower team verses a mysterious group trying to capture them” story that I expect, and things I’d never imagine. Teenagers developing super abilities and forming a team has been around since 1963, so nothing new there, but writer Noel Clarke (made famous from his role in Doctor Who) gives a fresh and darker look at the concept.
Continuing from the first issue, the team (Stephanie – rock skin, Janette – virus giver, and Philip – fire powers) is still being brought together by a billionaire named Edward. We don’t really know all that much about him, or what his ultimate plans are with the teenagers. The one thing we do know is that he has a room which he calls the “Quiet Room” that no one else is allowed to see. When he exits the room, he’s bleeding and seems to have gained information. Clarke gives the book enough secrets to have me wanting to know what’s going to happen next, at the same time he drops breadcrumbs to start answering questions from the previous issue. Some of the scenes didn’t flow all that well into one another for me, but I thought Clarke’s strength was in how he handled the characters, and the unique ways they used their powers.
On the art side of the book, Joshua Cassara seems to fit this type of story perfectly. With bright outdoor scenes to dark bloody interiors, he hits the mark while also giving plenty of emotions to the characters through facial expressions. One thing that took me out of the story were a few word bubble placements. It might just be me, but some seemed to read out of order. That said, Luis Guerrero brought me right back in with his wonderful colors.
The Troop is a new twist on the old idea popularized by X-Men that delivers a bit more of a mature twist. If you’re a fan of X-Men and Garth Ennis, this book may be right up your alley. With a last page ending that answers what’s in the Quiet Room while simultaneously giving even more questions that I want to know more about. I’m not quite ready to put the monthly on my pull list, but I’ll be looking for the trades as they come out.
Reviewed by: Brett Downard
(brett@comicspectrum.com)
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