Yes. Issue #2 of this series came out nearly half a year ago. I just happened to know about the release of issue #3 while perusing my twitter feed. It’s a ridiculously long wait without explanation. But hey, I have the book now and I read it. It was the least book I read from my stack. I was actually kind of not looking forward to reading this as I fully expected to not remember a single thing that happened in previous issues. But when the power company decided to repair some electrical lines and shut off our power for an hour, I seized the opportunity to just lie back and read the entire series through again. No internet, no stove to cook, no water for house work. Just comics.
I’m glad I re-read issues 1 and 2 because issue #3 is a densely packed affair! This is a comic book very much worth the extra 50¢ in terms of how much content you get. It took me about 30 minutes to read and I have no doubt I’ll go re-read this in order to pick up on more of its subtleties. It’s not that it’s particularly wordy but that the ideas contained within the script and the engaging artwork have a lot to offer. This is a book that you rad as much as you ponder it.
Issue # 3 transmorphs the story into something quite thought-provoking. Mixing religion, theology, the meaning of life, Schrodinger’s cat and more, into a flavorful philosophical cocktail. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First let’s talk plot.
The premise of Infinite Vacation if you don’t already know is that Mark, the “hero” of the story is a “bored-with-life” multi-versal surfer. You see – in the world of the comic book – the everyday reality is that the multi-verse – as the multiple worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics understands it – is a mundane reality. You can buy into or swap lives with yourself from a choice of an infinite number of possible realities/universes. The problem is that trillions of Marks have been dying in a pattern which leads him to believe he is specifically being targeted. As a preventative measure, he swaps lives with the Mark which is part of a religious movement called the Singularists. These are a small group of people opposed to the idea of reality trading, preferring to stick with the proverbial cards they’ve been dealt. We learn that this cult might be more ahead of the curve than the scientific community has given them credit for. This is a clever reversal of the common clichéd sterotypes found in fiction and probably in North-American society as well. Of course, the business people interested in the Infinite Vacation aren’t very happy about this and therein lies the first layer of conflict in the story. Scripter Nick Spencer delivers this metaphysical twist via a report put together by the scientific community. It’s a narrative device he seems to favor. Instead of having the characters “info dump” via dialog, we get to see the info for ourselves, from the source. It might be a jarring technique if it wasn’t done so darn creatively. Another instance of this occurs when the Solitarists show Mark a video delineating their religious beliefs. In fummeti style (comics made with photographs instead of drawings), we get to actually “read” the video. The way this is visually executed reveals much more about the cult than a page filled with word balloons ever could. Christian Ward‘s penciling isn’t short of stunning either. Often featuring bizarre layouts juxtaposed with more traditional panel composition, the digitally treated drawings are a pop art feast for the retinae. There’s a lot going on with coloring, textures and patterns that fits very well with the subject matter of this book.
I do have some criticisms however. First, there are too many typos in this book. Considering the delay one would think there would have been time to fit in a better proof-reading process. Also considering delays, I really don’t think this book can be thoroughly enjoyed on it’s own without having read issues 1 and 2. And though I understand and appreciate the idea behind the “villain” of the story, I am so far unconvinced at the threat he poses. In a world where universes can collapse quite literally with the blink of an eye, a serial killing cannibal comes across as more awkward and insignificant than the writer intends. Finally, there are times when the heady subject matter might tend to overshadow the forward progression of the plot, but not by much. For my personal taste, there is enough humor and stylization in this story-world to make it one of the better science fiction comics I’ve read.
If you have an interest in quantum mechanics, cerebral sci-fi and pop-art I recommend trying this out*. It’ll make you think.
Script: 8.5/10
Art: 8.5/10
Parental concern: Red for strong language and violence
*But wait for the trade.
