Fireborn #2 // Review
Aaron is on his way to school. There’s a stranger asking to have a chat with him. He’s got class in 20 minutes, though. He’s not in the habit of getting in cars with strange men. That’s kind of a phase in his life that he’s gotten beyond. Of course...the guy in question isn’t exactly asking. He flashes an NYPD badge. Suddenly Aaron’s morning has just gotten a whole heck of a lot more complicated in Fireborn #2. The writing team of Franklin Jonas and Curt Pires continue a contemporary fantasy story with artist Patrick Mulholland. The dark fantasy continues.
The NYPD detective isn’t exactly going out of his way to look anything other than cliche. There’s a white shirt, a black tie and a brown trench coat. There’s a mustache. There’s an image of Aaron taken from a surveillance camera right before a building became a firework. So naturally he’s going to be a suspect and naturally there are going to be questions. The thing is...he’s not going to be able to answer them without sounding crazy. And it’s not like he wants to answer the questions or anything like that, but the detective is only the beginning of Aaron’s day...
It’s quite tricky to strike the distinct balance needed to bring the world of the supernatural into contemporary Metropolitan setting. The writing came on Fireborn seems to manage that balance quite well. Aaron is dealing with issues that seem equally insurmountable on an earthbound and a realistic sense as they do in the more fantastic and supernatural and of the story. As a result, there's a kind of tight balance that's being maintained throughout the issue. It's as compelling in the real world emotional as it is in the realm of horror fantasy. That’s not an easy balance to strike.
Visually it's all at loss. The contemporary Metropolitan setting feels very well rendered with it really sharp amount of detail. The sudden burst of supernatural action feel exhilarating. But it all tumbles across the page with such speed that it seems like it all blurred together. Of the supernatural horror seems every bit is common place as anything else in the Metropolitan city. It just doesn't feel all that striking even when it's being launched across the page with tremendous force. A greater sense of contrast between the two would creating a more of an intense impact when things get crazy.
The full reality of his story is beginning to reveal itself. And though it might not seem terribly original trauma, it is at least compelling. It is at least engaging on an emotional level. Aaron seems like a nice enough kid once you get to know him after the first couple of issues. He seems like a reasonably nice guy. So you want good things to happen for him. And naturally you're going to feel kind of frustrated with all the chaos that surrounding him. That's only natural. It's just a matter of maintaining that or everyone involved in the production of Aaron’s story.
