Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist & Cover Artist: Michael Walsh
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Becca Carey
Publisher: Image Comics
Availability: Contact Tiny Onion
Stories help us understand history and facts better. Then, students graduate from high schools and universities to discover a complex and confusing world. Who determines the rules by which we live? Is it worth following the news media? Or do the powers that be instruct them to craft stories that bear no relation with reality? Let's grab a weapon from our armories, leap into Exquisite Corpses Ashcan, and see!
Story
When the Police Chief stops by Pump King, he can't say anything. So, he listens as Mike gives him a spiel about how he thinks the world functions. The counter attendant is correct in one matter. He and the Chief live in a democracy but have little say in the daily functioning of their government.
The Police Chief sympathizes with Mike’s hunger to see past the government sideshow. But whether he likes it or not, his life in Oak Valley has come to an end. He can't tell Mike he's leaving or why. So, the Chief gives the attendant some parting words of wisdom and leaves Pump King.
In Exquisite Corpses Ashcan, it’s debatable how much of the big picture the Police Chief glimpses. The voters may have elected him, but it’s time to hang up his hat. The Chief drives to a bridge, where he leaves behind everything and everyone he ever knew and receives the keys to his future.
James Tynion IV strips away the political smoke and mirrors to reveal how our government determines its leaders. Life is a battle, and there is no more fierce struggle than the fight for control. Exquisite Corpses Ashcan sets the stage for a change of leadership. Who emerges the victor and will order our future is as much a mystery to the candidates as to us.
Art
A road twists through the evergreens in Maine. A sign leading into Oak Valley highlights an attraction at 666 Main Street. Michael Walsh shows a patrol SUV parked beneath the canopy sheltering the gas pumps of Pump King. A squashed bug on the windshield symbolizes the Police Chief’s lack of control over his fate in Exquisite Corpses Ashcan.
Orange paints the gray trees, reminding us that October has arrived. The green and yellow exterior of Pump King promises visitors a warm welcome. But the shelves, displays, and spinner rack are gray and cold blue. Mike shines with orange and yellow, an ember of a barely burning fire.
Outside, orange leaves dot the gray pavement and muted surroundings. A man in blue working clothes hands the Police Chief an orange envelope. Jordie Bellaire's limited color palette hints at the town's fate in Exquisite Corpses Ashcan. The orange envelope and glowing orange canvas bag reveal that the Chief's future can be bright if he holds his tongue.
Becca Carey fills white dialogue balloons with delicate uppercase letters. The words grow bold for intonation and italicized for transmissions. Large white uppercase letters explain the approaching battle, while typewritten words accompany glimpses of the candidates. Symbols of power accompany their histories, philosophies, and special skills as dealers of death. Thanks to Image Comics and Tiny Onion for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
Every few years, voters march to the polls. They wait in line to stand in a booth and fill circles on pieces of paper. Then, they watch the leaders they voted into office do as they like for the next several years.
News providers and conspiracy theorists claim to tell us how our country functions. But behind the veneer of civilization, the people who run the United States prepare for a battle. Somehow, Exquisite Corpses Ashcan seems more accurate than the latest C-SPAN broadcast.
Rating 9.2/10
For more covers of the forthcoming first issue see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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