Written by: Matthew Rosenberg & Patrick Kindlon
Art by: Josh Hood
Publisher: Black Mask
You should be reading We Can Never Go Home. You really should. It’s reminiscent of the early days of Harbinger, back when that book felt vibrant and real. It’s not your typical superhero story, at least in the sense that you won’t find it at DC or Marvel. It’s a type of story that has definitely become fairly popular in recent years, across various forms of media. Young teenagers, generally a male and a female, discover they have superpowers, accidentally cause harm, and run away to live out their lives in something that resembles peace. They end up pursued by criminals and government agencies, using their powers to remain free. It’s a cool premise for a story, and yet it is rarely executed as masterfully as it is in We Can Never Go Home. This means that even the premise isn’t necessarily super original, the book still feels fresh, and unlike anything else hitting the shelves, at least that I’m reading.
What really draws me to the book are the characters. The two leads are fleshed out in such a way that they feel like real people with real stories. It shatters the artificial wall between reader and character, and that is really what makes it great. Sure, there are some bits of clunky dialogue here and there, and it’s actually a bit more prevalent in this issue than it was in the first three. By the same token, it’s hard to separate clunky dialogue from how the teens talk. Fortunately, it’s never so bad that it elicits cringes from me, but it’s not perfect. It’s pretty damn close, though.
Anyways, this issue really starts to ramp up the plot. Last issue’s cliffhanger is dealt with swiftly, and in a manner that shines it in a positive light. Because I didn’t actually review the last issue, I never really got a chance to complain about its cliffhanger, but the way its dealt with not only makes it irrelevant, but also stays true to the characters. But rather than just beating up on drug dealers and stealing money for the third issue in a row (now, that would have been cringe-worthy), instead we get to meet other powered characters. That in itself is something of a spoiler (sorry!), so I won’t go into what their role really is. Most readers will probably be able to figure it out, as it is something of a literary trope. That can’t really be held against the book though, as the scenes involving the new characters are some of the series’ best.
Part of the success of these scenes comes from the art. The action really has impact, and you can tell from just looking at the art that there is action happening. I’m a sucker for visual story telling, and this is a perfect example of how you do it right. Outside of the action scenes, the art is solid, but it’s nothing to write home about. Sure, facial expressions and such contribute to the characters and story telling, but it’s not as visceral as the scenes where blows are being exchanged. Perhaps the art is simply a victim of its own success – certain parts are so well done that the rest of the book seems underwhelming in comparison.
Even though We Can Never Go Home #4 is flawed, it is still exceptional. There’s still time to jump on board, especially since it seems that we’re only starting to get into the meat of the story. It’s a great character study, so if that’s your thing, I can see you not enjoying this book. And, you know, if you just want to see people with super powers beat each other up, this book has that as well, though that seems more like gravy than anything else.
