This week, Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch’s lovable scoundrel returns in Redcoat #14.
After the events of Simon Pure’s adventure with the Northerner, Johns and Hitch bring readers from the Civil War to the War of 1812. I’ve really enjoyed these standalone spotlights that have been sprinkled throughout the series. These interludes always serve to fill in the depth of Simon’s character, and it’s a blast to see historical events play out in this alternate United States. Each issue of Redcoat begins with a line of introduction from Simon, acting as our narrator, in which he jokingly says his name may be Pure but he is anything but. Now after fourteen issues, this line plays differently than it once did. After spending time with this character, we know this self-deprecating line is one piece self-loathing, and one-piece built-in excuse to explain away his failings. No Simon Pure isn’t perfect, but when the situation calls for it, this rogue always comes through.
Simon’s character is put on full display in this issue. Caught in the middle of the British invasion of Washington, D.C. and subsequent burning of the White House during the War of 1812, Simon is called upon to defend First Lady Dolly Madison in her mission to preserve a key symbol of America: a portrait of George Washington. Simon and Dolly Madison’s flight allows Johns to remind readers of what Simon was like during his early years of seeming immortality and that even then he had the potential to be a hero. This issue also grapples with questions of truth. Even though Simon knows better, he understands – thanks to Dolly Madison – that perhaps the mythic character of George Washington is more essential to the new country than the actual truth. At the end of the issue, Ghost Machine fans are given a short preview of First Ghost, which looks to take place in the modern-day White House and features a female President and her daughter exploring the historical artifacts of the People’s House. The inclusion of this First Ghost prelude with this issue makes me wonder if, just maybe, we haven’t met the titular ghost earlier in this book.
As always, Redcoat wouldn’t be the standout book it is without Bryan Hitch’s artwork. Over the course of this run, I’ve admired how Hitch has been able to define Simon’s “fighting” style. Simon isn’t Batman or Daredevil, he’s a brawler and an improviser. This comes through in Hitch’s choreography, as Simon seems to almost stumble his way to victory. Brad Anderson again provides the colors and imbues the flames of the White House with a dangerous beauty that pops off the page. I’m not sure if this was solely Anderson’s choice, but near the end of the issue is a full-page spread with the silhouettes of Simon and Dolly Madison in complete shadow with the scene only lit by the flames of the White House. It’s one of the most moving scenes in the book and conveys how close to the edge of collapse our country came and justifies Dolly Madison’s almost suicidal stubbornness to save Washington’s portrait. She didn’t just rescue a relic but the country’s spirit and hope.
As always, Redcoat delivers. There is a reason it’s on my pull list and the first book I read when a new issue comes out. It’s easily one of the most consistently entertaining books on the stands. Johns and Hitch have created an extraordinary take on the roguish hero archetype. I really shouldn’t like Simon as much as I do. And with the recent chapters of Geiger and Redcoat, I am hooked on the mystery behind the “Unnamed.” Don’t hesitate. Go and buy this book today.
Creative Team: Geoff Johns (Creator, Writer), Bryan Hitch (Creator, Artist, Inker), Andrew Currie (Inker), Brad Anderson (Colorist), Rob Leigh (Letterer)
Publisher: Ghost Machine/Image Comics
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