Geiger #21 // Review
Tariq and Malcolm get welcomed with gunfire the moment that they arrive. It’s not a very nice welcome from strangers, but Tariq and Malcolm ARE arriving in a tank. And that tank DOES have a Nazi insignia on it, so it’s understandable that they’re going to look more than a little hostile entering the area in Geiger #21. Before they can get there, however, they’re going to have to learn how to get along with each other. Writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank continue to navigate towards a big crossover for The Unnamed universe in an issue that expands the backstory with significant world-building.
The tank just sort of...materialized. It’s okay: Malcolm has grown accustomed to this sort of thing given the time travelling that he’s been forced to do. Tariq isn’t quite as trusting of the situation...until he sees the interior of the tank. It’s like a 1950’s hot rod interior. His name appears on a gold plate on the back of one of the seats. There’s a picture of him with his family from before the war. There are other mysteries inside the converted Nazi tank...like the significance of Friday, August 36th and the defeaning sounds that they hear when they start the tank rolling.
Johns delivers a very believable alternative history to the page as Malcolm relates how World War II was different with the south winning the Civil War. The interaction between the two heroes feels believable. They're not going to get into some arbitrary fight. But they're not necessarily going to trust each other either. And there's a real functional respect that both men have for each other. It feels like a very complicated relationship that's rendered in a very sophisticated way for the page. Quite an accomplishment.
Frank does particularly good work with the interior of the tank. It would be very difficult to maintain a plausible look for such a vehicle the way Johns envision debt. However, there's a real sense of the interior that feels very believable. And there isn't a dial or detail on the tank that doesn't seem like it has a very practical purpose. It really seems like Frank could do a complete blueprint schematic for the interior the way he draws it. And the drama between the two men feels very believable as well. The tension is palpably brought to the page and tight close-ups.
Johns and Frank do a really good job of drawing of The Unnamed universe together in a way that feels interesting. There might be aspects of the universe that don't necessarily seem all that interesting to every single reader. It is kind of a wide range of different genres that are being brought into play that aren't necessarily universally loved. However, this particular issue makes the entire universe seem that much more interesting. Those who might be a little bit more interested in Geiger than...say...Redcoat might find themselves a little bit more interested in that series having read this issue. And that's really the ideal for any crossover of this sort. It's cleverly composed stuff.
