Bigger Than Capes

Written & Lettered by: John Layman
Drawn & Coloured by: Dan Boultwood
Publisher: Image

We’re at the mid point in this arc of Chu, so after two issues of getting all the pieces in place for the heist of the century, Chu #8 shows us exactly which century that heist is going to take place in.

Saffron escaped a sticky situation last month with the help of some time travelling wine, so naturally this issue takes place in France around two hundred years ago, where Saffron is trying her best to discover just what it is that’s worth stealing at this particular point in history.

A lot happens in this issue and, while it could have ended up feeling pretty overwhelming, I think the creative team have done a great job with the pacing here. We open with a prologue that lasts longer than I was expecting, but in doing so tells us more about Ong Chu, who’s been a major point of intrigue since his introduction. From there we follow Saffron’s tour around 1800’s France in pursuit of the real end goal for the heist she’s been planning with Eddie.

Dan Boultwood’s artwork is great throughout this issue, cartoonish in all the right ways and really playing up the goofiness of the situations Saffron finds herself in. In particular the sequence of Saffron punching multiple people and stealing their clothes to disguise herself.

It’s always around this point in comic book reviewing that it becomes difficult to say new things about the series, especially if you’re enjoying each issue. This is a really good issue of Chu: it’s fun, it tells us more about the characters and it moves the plot forward a significant amount before ending on a cliffhanger that was bound to happen at some point, as the past catches up with Saffron and Eddie.