Review: Penultiman #1
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Tom Peyer
Artist: Alan Robinson
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Rob Steen
Reviewer: Tony Farina
Summary
Penultiman, The Next-To-Last-Stage In Human Evolution, is the greatest, best-looking, and most admired super-hero in the world! So how can he stop hating himself? His android understudy, Antepenultiman, thinks he knows the answer!
Positives
Penultiman #1 tells the story of a man who is perfect, but miserable. Penultiman knows the future. He knows what perfection is, and yet, he is not it. The gag seems like it shouldn’t work, but it does. It could be because of the fact that Peyer is doing a deep dive into what it means to be happy. We can all relate to Penulitman. No, we are not from the future. No we are not superheroes (well, maybe some of you are). Still, we all know what it is like to be rejected. We have been judged and found wanting. There are people in our lives who simply don’t like us because of how we were born. The social commentary is dripping off every page and I love it.
Also, Alan Robinson is the perfect artist for this book. The expressiveness on Penultiman’s face when he is in the guise of the hero, or his alter ego, Agent Wayne Cruz, tells so much of this story. Even the robot sidekick, Antepenultiman, has some deep thoughts written all over his face. I love it when comic artists make me feel like I am there, in the room with the characters. Robinson nails it.
Negatives
Penultiman #1 does have a zero issue that is free on Comixology. They link to it in this issue. I would recommend going and reading that first. That info does not come until the end of the book. It would have been better suited to come early. This issue is so good, the the only negative I can find is that I didn’t know there was more.
Verdict
Penultiman #1 looks like another winner for Ahoy Comics who have been swinging for the fences. Peyer manages to make us care so much about hour hero in just a few short pages. Robinson’s art is special. He captures the feeling of an old timey super hero comic while Peyer simultaneously makes a bit of fun of old timey superhero comics. Get in on the ground floor of this newest mini-series from Ahoy! Everyone is going to be talking about it, so you might as well know what it is all about.
