Splash of Red
It's always kind of sad to see a good story end, And Justin Jordan'/Tradd Moore's Luther Strode has been one of the best. It's been 5 issues of beautiful violence, geek culture references and likable characters, but with Issue #6 we lamentably have to say goodbye to one of the best mini-series Image had too offer.
If there's one thing I can say about Justin Jordan is that he's a master at both subtlety as well as extravagance. This issue never quite explains that much about the nature of Luther's powers or the enemies he's facing, but at the same time he gives us just enough names and cryptic references that we're still left with a framework we can fill in the blanks ourselves for now, and while certain things never get resolved, leaving a touch of ambiguity in the story, I still felt satisfied with the conclusion, though still craving more. But on the other hand Jordan pulls no punches (...) with the story. He's not afraid to kill certain people, cause massive amounts of damage or treat the characters we've come to love like crap. Sure, the villains can be written off as one-dimensional or generic, just worshipers of evil and murder, but that's exactly what they need to be for this kind of tale, and it's the mythos and magnitude and consequences of what they can and try to do that really sells them. The emotional moments and the events that trigger them are really powerful, and Luther's reaction ranges from subtly troubled to explosive rage, making for a story with weight to it.
And of course the art this whole issue has been fantastic, an explosion of red splashing across the pages with exciting fight scenes to go with with the story.
I use the word "fun" a lot nowadays when describing certain comics, and Luther Strode easily fits with that label, but in the end it's the maturity, the realistic relationships and the sheer wild violence that make this book so good. Justin Jordan makes no pretense that this is gonna seem a lot like Kick-Ass, but if I had to compare the two, I'd say The Strange Talents of Luther Strode was Kick-Ass done right. Which makes me all the more sad to see it go.
Oh wait, Jordan has announced "The Legend of Luther Strode" out in October. Hell yes!
