Greg Weisman is one of the greatest storytellers of modern times and Gargoyles is a perfect encapsulation of why. Weisman refuses to rush his narrative, instead creating a rich tapestry of characters and conflicts. Much like Star Wars, every character in a Greg Weisman story has their own motivations, secrets, hopes and voice.
This comic can feel overwhelming if you have not kept up with the Gargoyles mythos, but Weisman trusts his readers enough to just tell the best possible story and allow readers of all types to enjoy it in their own ways. Add to this the incredible, dynamic art by George Kambadais and we have the makings of a legendary comic run. This team refuses to be complacent and rather than being confined by the comic book format use it to create unique ways of story-telling.
This issue steps away from our main cast to build up the gangland. Dino Dracon is a vicious crime boss freshly out of prison. He makes quick work of Pal Joey before learning about the Gargoyles and catching up on the leadership within the five families. Matt Bluestone gets some mysterious information from a very familiar looking assistant D.A. Goliath awakens and tries to pull together Brooklyn, Broadway and Lexington but finds they are all on very disparate paths. The connections between them have fractured and Brooklyn is busy with his wife and son, while Broadway and Angela couple off to speak with Coldfire. Hudson and Goliath bond with each other on patrol. Gang members use gargoyle masks in a kidnapping drawing in Goliath and Hudson. But it’s a trap as Quarrymen attack and after a solid battle take the Gargoyles down.
It can’t be overstated how both familiar styles of storytelling and new styles of art work come together to create an absorbing experience that carries the reader from one page to the next. As amazing an experience this book is it makes one hope this series goes long enough to fill compendiums of stories allowing the reader to go on this journey without interruption. As it is we have to wait for each new issue and hope this level of artistry can continue within this book for years to come.
Writing: 5 of 5 stars
Art 5 of 5 stars
Colors: 5 of 5 stars
Overall:
5 of 5 stars
Writer: Greg Weisman
Art: George Kambadais
Colors: Arancia Studios
Publisher: Dynamite Comics