The story behind the comic book The 36 is based on the Kabbalistic belief that there are 36 people in the world upon whom it is saved by their simple existence. As the book states, “In times of need, these people emerge from anonymity to save us.”
Creator Kristopher White continues to weave a bold and original tale with third issue of The 36. Easily my favorite issue so far, this chapter reveals more about the other members of The 36, the staff Noam carries, and the details surrounding Noam’s comatose wife.
This issue also offers another introduction from White that addresses and thanks The 36‘s Kickstarter backers. These intros add a great platform for White to chat with readers and are charmingly reminiscent of Stan Lee’s classic intros. They also offer a great look into the Kickstarter process and how it’s working for The 36. For example, this issue featured three backers as characters in the comics as part of their donation, a truly precious honor for any comic book fan!
What really makes this issue work is how it adds to the complexity of the story. That’s not to say that the story is confusing in any way, but rather that White starts revealing that The 36 won’t be just a tale of good vs. evil, but will explore the moral ambiguity present in the real world. One example of this is the introduction of the man who carried Moses’ staff before Noam. While a member of The 36, he is not on Noam’s side and even recruits other members of The 36 to help murder our hero. This idea of The 36 vs. The 36 something I never saw coming!
As if that’s not enough, this issue includes Noam squaring off with a trained attack Polar Bear and an adrenaline shot scene straight out of Pulp Fiction! Kudos, Mr. White! (insert Reservoir Dogs joke here)
The first and second issues are available at the official website, www.the36.net. You can also follow creator/writer Kristopher White on Twitter, @heykristopher.
That’s all for now, comic book sniffers! You can also check out Fanboy Comics’ previous interviews with Kristopher White and reviews of The 36 at the following links:
Comikaze Expo 2011: Fanboy Comics Interviews Kristopher White, Creator/Writer of The 36
Fanboy Comics Interviews Kristopher White, Creator/Writer of The 36
‘Till the end of the world,
-Bryant the Comic Book Slayer
