It Came From The '90s The Maxx #4 - Image (1993)

Yedna suggested that I move The Maxx to the top of my list and I'm glad I followed the suggestion! This is a cool comic. So cool, in fact, that I have changed the name of this feature to It Came From The '90s.

I didn't read many comics at all during the early '90s and the few non Marvel/DC titles I did read were either The Tick or back issues of The Badger and Grimjack. Therefore, this is the first issue of The Maxx I have ever read. I know a little about the premise of the series from the animated version but my memories are vague. Mostly I remember that there was a whole "what is reality?" thing going on and that the characters' perceptions did not (necessarily) reflect reality.

I really like the art in this issue. Sam Keith draws characters in a way that reminds me of Bill Sienkiewicz's work. He also uses the whole page to tell this story. He has a masterful use of style and he knows which rules to break to make his point. For example, certain features of a character such as eyes, hair, or the entire body may change size or shape in order to make a scene work.

This issue is told from Sarah's point of view and reinforces the fluid reality of the setting. Sarah is a depressed teenager who hangs out with The Maxx under a bridge. Julie (who I remember from the animated series) is counseling Sarah but Sarah is resisting it in true depressed teenage fashion. There's a lot of good character work, here and I finished this issue knowing a lot about the world and the people in it. It turns out to be a good jumping-on point for the series.

So, this was a pleasant surprise. I liked everything about this issue. From the art to the writing to the way that it appeared that this mere comic book was too small to contain the characters and story within it. It was like things kept striving to leap off the page and fly away to freedom. When I get to Dragon*Con I'll try to dig up some Maxx trades so I can get the rest of the story.

Next up: Action Comics #687!