After the intense action and explosive finale of the Lewistown arc, writer Geoff Johns gives readers an opportunity to breathe in Geiger #16. This issue serves as both an epilogue to the preceding tumultuous past issues and a perfect jumping-on point for new readers.
Johns accomplishes this by centering his narrative on Dr. Molotov, one of the men responsible for the destruction of the world. Dr. Molotov also has a long history with Tariq Geiger, and the expected confrontation between the two men has been building since this comic’s first volume. It was Dr. Molotov who helped Tariq control his abilities. Once allies, Tariq now views Molotov only with suspicion and barely-hidden anger. If readers were expecting a long-overdue reckoning between the two characters, they won’t get that in this issue. Instead, Johns subverts those expectations by showing us a surprisingly calm Tariq. A man who usually wears his anger on the surface like a piece of clothing is utterly icy calm in the face of the man he might hate the most in the entire world. Yet, Tariq doesn’t seek out any answers or catharsis from Dr. Molotov; he only wants the old scientist to fix Junkyard Joe and then move on.
This gives Johns the opportunity, through the inner thoughts of Dr. Molotov, to bring readers up to speed on the series so far. There is one scene in particular that cements Nate the Nuclear Knight as Tariq’s moral compass, providing new readers a deep understanding of why Tariq allows Nate to tag along on his travels through the wasteland. Nate represents the innocence Tariq lost with the death of his family, and not until this issue had I really appreciated Nate’s importance in the narrative. Though much of this book dwells on the past, the overall story being told takes a meaningful step forward. An unexpected cliffhanger left me excited for the future of this series, and I have no idea what to expect next. A thrilling way to kick off the next arc.
Gary Frank takes a much-needed break with this issue. Eamon Winkle joins Johns and provides the pencils for this issue, alongside comic veteran Norm Rapmund on inks. Both make the change in artist feel seamless while also providing their own unique take on the world of Geiger. In a style reminiscent of Todd Nauck (Young Justice, Stargirl: The Lost Children), Winkle delivers some really great full splash pages that capture the action of Johns’s script, as well as highlighting the emotional beats. One such page delivers a full spread of a clearly defeated Dr. Molotov portraying a once-proud man now haunted by his own creations. Robert Nugent’s colors were a definite highlight of this issue, as well. An opening full page of Earth from space was so vividly colored as to be nearly photo-realistic. Nugent captures Tariq’s powers and menacing presence with his choice of green tones. Geiger co-creator Gary Frank provides a riveting cover for this issue, as well, that sets the tone for what is to follow inside. You can feel the emotions of his characters jumping off the page. This one cover, without words, expresses the deep-seated history of Molotov and Geiger.
Geiger remains one of the best books on the stands. Now sixteen issues deep, this series continues to keep readers on their toes. Underneath the post-apocalyptic trappings, I’ve enjoyed Johns and Frank’s exploration of anger and grief. For those of you who haven’t picked up this series yet, as I mentioned above, issue 16 is a great place to start. Those already hooked will find a satisfying epilogue to the Lewistown story arc and the promise of a potential new direction for the series. A strong recommendation for all comic fans.
Creative Team: Geoff Johns (Writer), Eamon Winkle (Penciller), Norm Rapmund (Inker), Robert Nugent (Colorist), Rob Leigh (Letterer).
Publisher: Ghost Machine/Image Comics
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