Tuesday, February 05, 2013

LTTP: Terminal City

In honor of Terminal City being reprinted by Dark Horse, I've decided do a review on this unique piece of work. It was originally printed by DC/Vertigo in 1996. It is written by Dean Motter and drawn by Michael Lark and there could not have been a better team for this book.

There is a term I like to use when describing comics that I don't get to use that often. That is 'Communicating a World.'  Most mainstream comics are happy enough drawing a hero with muscles no non-deformed human being should have in a 'action pose' over a colored panel. The world in this typical comic is 'Metropolis' and you don't need to draw it because 'Metropolis' isn't important, isn't part of the story, it is merely background.  Terminal City takes this formula and flips it on its head.
The story takes place in Terminal City but it is in a future that was imagined in the 1920's. The back of the book calls it retro-futurism. Sure. Anyway, not only is it in the future of the 20's the 20's culture of gangsters and flappers are alive and well.

Gorgeous art. Cheesy stories, boxers versus gorillas/robots. Read it kids, enjoy.

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