The Field #2
Written by Ed Brisson
Illustrated by Simon Roy
Published by Image Comics
The Field #2 is a strange comic book. There’s a murderous biker gang, a messianic character called The Source who can’t remember who or what he is, and The Source’s middle-aged bodyguard, Christian, who is basically a Bible-thumping serial killer. It’s weird, but it works. Field #2 has a post-apocalyptic feel to it, what with the roving bands of outlaw bikers, the unchecked violence that no one really seems to care about (as long as they aren’t the ones being slaughtered, anyway), and the unwitting messiah that is The Source. While there is a lot going on in the comic, so far there isn’t a lot of cohesion to the plot.
Field #2 begins with a flashback to King Kock’s Kountry Klub, where The Source is partying and Christian is keeping tabs on him. Gunshots ring out and someone gets killed as Christian runs from the crowded bar and commandeers a car in true Christian style – that is to say, like a homicidal maniac. Flash ahead to Christian and The Source driving down a rural highway in their hijacked car where they have a nasty run-in with two members of the Smoke Eaters motorcycle gang which ends in a particularly nasty, and fatal, case of road-rash for the bikers. Unfortunately, the two protagonists lose their car in the process. Despite being on foot, the messiah and his aging, avenging angel don’t wait around for the rest of the Smoke Eaters to arrive; instead they make their way to a local diner where Christian gets them a new mode of transportation. The Smoke Eaters aren’t far behind and they find the bloody mess that Christian left behind at the diner. Also, The Source continues to receive text messages from an unknown benefactor which leads to more questions than answers.
Writer Ed Brisson’s script is full of action and all the colloquialisms from Christian that one has come to expect. It is, however, lacking something in plot. With amnesia being used as a plot device there is a lot being left out of the story that will likely get filled in later. This is only issue two, so Brisson will probably continue to slowly tease readers with possibilities before finally releasing the full details of who and what The Source really is. That is fine as long as he keeps the action going and picks up the pace of the story just a bit.
While the plot may need a little work, the art is fantastic. Simon Roy delivers on action, blood, and gore. The stylized flashback scenes – think impressionism meets pop-art – are perfect for ensuring no confusion between past action and events taking place in the here-and-now. Roy’s artwork truly brings this book to life.
Field #2 is a good comic book and worth dropping the $3.50 to read. With a little tweaking of the plot’s pacing, this could be a great comic series. Either way, it is worth a read.
