Back To The Future #7

By John Barber, Bob Gale, Marcelo Ferreira, Áthila Fabbio, Toni Doya, Jose Luis Rio, Ester Sanz

IDW has a knack for taking your favorite intellectual properties and creating comic books that capture the magic that made you fall in love with that franchise in the first place. Their Back To The Future series is no different. If you want to know what it’s like to have more Back To The Future in a world where it wouldn’t be dumbed down to appeal to the lowest common denominator, ruined and exploited by a mass media corporation, then you should really check this series out. We don’t even deserve a BTTF series that’s this wonderful.

One of the best things about this series in general is that it doesn’t forget the franchise’s comedic roots. Yes, Back To The Future is an adventure story with science fiction elements thrown in, but with frequent jokes and some slapstick, it’s very much a comedy. Issue seven picks up right where the last issue left off with Marty and Jennifer trying to figure out where and/or when this amnesic Doc Brown came from. Marty and Jennifer attempt to take care of Doc, resulting in one hilarious and awkward situation after another. Barber and Gale nail the humor, creating a very pure BTTF experience that feels like the original trilogy.

Speaking of a pure experience, it cannot be stated enough how accurately these characters are being portrayed. Each character acts exactly how a seasoned fan would expect them to. Marty is definitely the glaring example in issue seven. Last issue, we got to see a new side of Marty, a young man who can no longer connect with the time around him. It was very refreshing to see a new side to the character that still remained true to the essence of who he is. This issue, Marty’s classic and adolescent penchant for trouble is on full display. While this character angle is nothing new, it is certainly done tremendously well. Marty is slowly becoming a very deep and conflicted person that will be a blast to pick apart and discuss for future reviews.

Marcelo Ferreira and Áthila Fabbio have done some fine work for IDW. On Back To The Future, Ferreira has been absolutely killing it. Like most of IDW’s IP comics, Ferreira and Fabbio are able to walk the line in creating accurate depictions of classic characters that also have a style that makes it unique to this comic. Doc Brown always has an eccentric face to express panic. Over the course of the series, Doc’s facial expressions have become something of a staple of the series. Also of note is the color work by Jose Luis Rio and Ester Sanz. Good coloring such as what’s on display here are something that can often be easily overlooked, but can also quietly make or break an issue. Things here are more atmospherically dark, yet not so much that it throws anything off.

It’s usually hard to recapture what made the original(s) so special to so many people, but IDW doesn’t have that problem in the slightest. Maybe it’s the fact that they have (co-creator and producer) Bob Gale assisting with the project. Regardless, IDW’s batting average is skyrocketing.