Bigger Than Capes

Publisher: Image/Skybound
Writer/Artist: Tri Vuong
Colorist: Annalisa Leoni
Letterer: Rus Wooton

This issue takes a real deep dive into Garmadon’s past. I am very proud that I didn’t even have to refer to the wiki for that bit either. There is some very in depth character work going on here. It’s really rather impressive how much depth this issue brings to Garmadon, how much sympathy for him this garners. It also links back to previous events, going right back to the first issue.

Previously Lord Mogra gave Garmadon a real beating. It’s left our antihero weak and a bit lost in his own head. He hallucinates his son Lloyd coming to see him when in fact it’s young Min. I really like how we have that ghostly form of Lloyd transitioning to Min’s slightly horrified face. The art really sells much of the character work this issue.

When it comes to character work there’s a lot of it around Garmadon and his past. For those not well versed in Garmadon’s backstory it goes like this. When he and his brother Wu were young, Garmadon was bitten by the Great Devourer whose venom corrupted Garmadon and sent him down a path of evil. I was not expecting a really deep dive into the psychology of what makes a soul evil but we get that. We see Garmadon’s very psyche working through events of long ago and it’s quite emotional.

The art, giving us the combination of weird flashbacks and also Garmadon confronting his other facets, really helps sell that emotion. This seems a a weird phrase to be using when talking about the art of Lego figures but it’s true. There’s a lot of expression in those little faces. Of course the writing is also a factor but as a comic based on a Lego property that sells due to an animated series you do need the art to help carry the emotion and it does it really well.

However, this is not just an issue where we have Garmadon working through his snake related past. Oh no, there’s also action as the villagers find that Lord Mogra (who as it turns out is a foe from way back) has decided to rename Two Moon Village as New Mogratron. Obviously the name does not go down well with the villagers nor does the idea of the village being the new base for the Red Crows.

Luckily we have the Two Moon Village Commandos – Lani, Shu and Bron. The humour in this issue largely comes from the village shenanigans, such as when the commandos fight off the Red Crows and ponder taking back the village. The lighter moments balance out some of the more existential questions.

There’s also a bit of heart too. Min remains the metaphorical heart of the tale. It’s nice that there are these little morality moments as well, especially in an all ages comic. It’s not preachy either. I hate the word wholesome but well it is. Genuinely the tone is sincere but I respect it for that.

This issue took me by surprise with how deep and interesting it is. I never thought I’d see a villain origin story retold with this much interest and depth in a Lego comic but here we are. It’s genuinely really good. You don’t even need to read that much of the wiki.