Writers: Emi Lenox, Jeff Lemire / Artist: Emi Lenox / Image Comics
I hate spoilers. Part of what makes stories so fun for me is trying to navigate ahead of the tale, guessing where the plot will turn, predicting what characters will do, and asking myself what I would do in their shoes. I often skip reading the backs of books, or find myself angry with movie trailers with scenes that are clearly from its climax. So when I began reading Plutona it was under absolute optimal conditions – I had never heard of it before and had no idea what to expect.
What’s the best part about going into a new story blind? Stories like Plutona can exceed your cautious expectations and pleasantly surprise you. In its first issue, Plutona is charming, well paced, and manages to introduce its characters with early depth and personality. Its most impressive feat is familiarizing readers with so many characters in so little time – the premiere really takes advantage of every panel to give you a little more insight than you had before, and fits character development in very little time. Emi Lenox and Jeff Lemire are the comic book equivalent of packing for 2 weeks of vacation in a single piece of well-organized luggage.
Issue #1 leaves out plenty of information, but not so much that I felt frustrated or lost; instead I’m curious to learn answers to the most obvious plot questions: who is Plutona? Who is her antagonist? And how will they tie into the characters I just spent 20 pages reading? There are two stories here: one of the superhero-mom Plutona, and another with a gang of kids living outside the circle of capes and heroism. The parallel stories work well together so far and it’ll be interesting to see how much the two worlds are intended to cross.
Overall, Plutona #1 is a pleasant surprise and I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes. I’m in.
9.2 out of 10
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