As the franchise builds toward situations that are destined to redefine its world, is there just too much going on?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

The s#!t is hitting the fan in a big, bad way! The Bounce’s grip on this reality is getting looser all the time. Meanwhile, the Darling is ready to strike! All this, and inter-dimensional pornography, too!

We dare not tell you more!

What we have in our hands is a gripping thrill-ride with enough aspects of the human spirit to make the antics of our protagonist believable.  The inner workings of this journey allow the release to be quite a bit more than the mere sum of its already interesting parts.  It’s a solid effort by a creative team that embraces some very out there concepts, while also keeping their tale nailed to an understandable reality.

Joe Casey pens the script and I have to say the author dances a fine line between over burdening his plot and lightening its load too quickly.  What I mean is the issue begins with a text heavy feel but when the second half kicks in we see a distinct but gradual lessening of the verbal barrage, especially near the end of the piece.  The culmination is a crescendo, but one that begins to give answers and then lets go in favor of an entertaining set of sequences. In short: I wish there was a bit more substance but what’s given is riveting in its own right.

The art by David Messina is by far the best part of this yarn.  Not to knock the written word, but I could stare at these panels all day and still gain a semblance of the story I was following.  The illustrator hits all the crazy bits while maintaining enough fluidity and versatility in order to make this whole thing work.  To sum up: the exemplary pictures are more than worth that price of admission.

The Bounce #8 is a great entry that makes my job easy, as it heroically arrives at your local comic shop.  Highly recommended.

4.5/5