And so ends the first arc of Simon Oliver and Robbi Rodriguez’s mindbending new comic FBP. Things wrap up pretty satisfactorily here, but the real intrigue is in the potential of things to come.
However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, read the review for FBP #4 below!
The Good
Simon Oliver wraps up the initial story threads pretty well, if slightly lacklusterly. Former partners-turned-enemies Jay and Adam have it out and though Jay’s sacrifice is pretty perfunctory, finally learning why he betrayed his friend and partner is actually quite intriguing.
The real intrigue for the first half of the issue is the collapse of the Bubbleverse, presented beautifully by artist Robbi Rodriguez. His work continues to be frenetic and exciting, with an exuberance of style that is a treat to see. While it can occasionally be disjointed and hard to follow, it works well with the material written.
However, once Adam makes it out of the Bubbleverse, the real fun begins. The ramifications hinted at during the end of the issue are exciting and different. I’ll go into them now so SPOILER WARNING BELOW.
The destruction of the Bubbleverse also leads to the destruction of scandal-plagued politico James Crest’s building, and all evidence of his wrong doing pertained within. Hampering the authorities investigation into Mr. Crest’s “financial irregularities” leads to public distrust of the FBP (Federal Bureau of Physics, keep up!) which then leads to the privatization of the Physics Bustin’ Business! That’s right, it would appear the FBP is going to have rival corporate competition. Free- market capitalism! Which is exactly what Jay’s evil benefactors wanted!
*cue dramatic music*
The potential for interesting and exciting stories is certainly high with the end of this first arc. Hopefully Mr. Oliver will continue to deliver inventive and unique ideas to perpetuate the story forward.
The Bad
The confrontation between Jay and Adam felt surprisingly flat. Perhaps it is simply because this is issue #4 and as readers, we haven’t really had the time to develop much attachment to any of the characters yet. This would also explain why Jay’s sacrifice feels anticlimactic. It might have simply been too early for such a betrayal – had we had more time with these characters, we would feel more attached to them.
However, the end of the issue more than makes up for the lackluster first and middle-thirds. With the setup out of the way, it’s clear Mr. Oliver is expanding the FBP universe, hopefully into new and exciting directions.
Final Verdict:
(4/5)
Simon Oliver wraps up his opening arc to FBP in a satisfactory way, while still creating intrigue for issues to come. Robbi Rodriguez’s energetic and mindbending artwork deliver again, continuing to keep step with Mr. Oliver’s crazy Physics-bending storytelling.
