By Eric Powell & Tim Wiesch
Image Comics have been putting out an excellent amount of releases lately, packed with large amounts of diverse and interesting stories so that no two comics from the publisher ever feel the same, and that is certainly the case here with Big Man Plans, with it being far more than your typical revenge story. Although it might not be to everyone’s taste, it’s certainly worth checking out if you want something that’s a little different than what you would normally read.
The combined creative team of Eric Powell and Tim Wiesch do a solid job laying the groundwork for the series as it introduces on the surface what looks like your typical revenge story. The main character has been constantly bullied, harassed and abused all of his life, whether at home or during his service in Vietnam, until he eventually snaps in a brutal and violent way that sets the tone for what this series will follow. Sounds like your typical revenge story, right? Not if the main character in question is a dwarf, and that’s what we’ve got with Big Man Plans, which ramps the violence and action up a notch for its first issue with promises of more to follow.
Eric Powell is on both writing and artistic duties here (collaborating with Tim Wiesch on the script) and he doesn’t hold anything back. The final eye-catching splash page is among the highlight of this book, which the combination of the pencils and the colours really working together effectively to produce a good result and the more emotional heavy issues work. It feels very reminiscent of older comics in terms of style, which works in the book’s favour given the fact that it features the Vietnam War to give you an idea of the period that this comic is set in.
The first issue of Big Man Plans is a very interesting start. There’s plenty of potential for it to descend completely into madness because the biggest problem here is that despite the relatively solid development of the story, you’re not quite sure where it will go next. The first issue sets up the story nicely, but whether a more complex plot will be introduced further down the line remains to be seen. Chances are though, if you liked what you saw in this issue that won’t matter, because there’s enough here to keep readers coming back for more anyway.
The pacing of Big Man Plans is handled pretty well. It sets up the backdrop for the upcoming revenge elements to take place very well indeed and explores the hardships of the main character strongly. You’ll be glad that his life isn’t yours by the time the first issue comes to a conclusion.
There’s plenty of powerful moments that will not be for everyone here with the element of shock being very clear indeed. But there’s enough to keep Big Man Plans from just being your standard, ultra-violent comic and as a result the creative team of Eric Powell and Tim Wiesch doesn’t disappoint as it starts out on a strong note that will be worth checking out come its release on March 4th.
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