A movie is just a series of pictures taken ever closer together to simulate movement. Both the Claymation folks and Legos have used this approach to great acclaim with a fun chicken movie and the ongoing thrills of various DC superheroes and ninjas. In grade school, one of our teachers had us make our own moving picture book. The trick is keeping the background relatively fixed and just focus on the movements of your protagonist. A staple here and there, and presto! You have a short movie. Each page advances the motion just a fraction.
In a similar vein we have the first printing of Hedra published by Image in July and poised for a second printing release this September. Written and drawn by Jesse Lonergan, Hedra takes you on an adventure through space and time to witness the exploits of a lone human astronaut in the cosmos.
The journey starts on Earth with a sort of Gattaca theme, but moves into Swift’s Lilliputian conflict with a wondrous discovery that is followed by great despair. Without words, Lonergan takes a chance with an epic journey through 52 pages. The decision to not use words initially seems to give the reader control, but it is just an illusion. Each frame gives the opportunity for the reader to take their 1,000 words and craft a narrative, which is quickly reformed by the next seemingly empty colored frame on the page or odd bichrome shape or symbol. At times the page is both seven individual frames and one entire picture at the same time, with each frame colored in the purple and pink that paint both planet and space in an ethereal hue.
This soft adventure lives up to the non-superhero storytelling that continues to flourish in independent publishers and in Image Comics at times. For the superhero fans, the protagonists comes through as each challenge is laid out in front. But don’t fear — this is not so “artsy cinema” as to not be enjoyable. With our reality currently mimicking a season of Veep combined with a sequel to Outbreak sans Dustin Hoffman, sometimes you need to just take a break.
Hedra is a nice detour from the current tyranny of the Batman Who Laughs in the DC Universe and some really strange war with plants in Marvel’s Empyre. This one can be used as a sort of palate cleanser in between plagues and invasions, and you can “read” it over and over again to evolve your own journey. Whether you flip through it quickly or really take your time with each page, you will not be led astray.
The soft adventure in Jesse Lonergan’s Hedra lives up to the non-superhero storytelling that continues to flourish in independent publishers and in Image Comics at times. With our reality currently mimicking a season of Veep combined with a sequel to Outbreak sans Dustin Hoffman, sometimes you need to just take a break from the current tyranny of the Batman Who Laughs in the DC Universe and some really strange war with plants in Marvel’s Empyre. Whether you flip through it quickly or really take your time with each page, you will not be disappointed that you picked this one up.
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