Written by: Eric Powell and Tim Wiesch
Art by: Eric Powell
Publisher: Image Comics
This was a perfect ending to an absolutely killer series.
Big Man Plans has been a heartfelt yet extremely violent miniseries so far. It basically gave you some heart so that it could give you 6 pages of blood and guts. And, while it was easy to see that something big was brewing, Eric Powell and Tim Wiesch managed to dangle the dark secret just out of view while providing us some excellent backstory to set it all up.
This final issue is expertly paced and Powell and Wiesch manage to still create some nice anticipation even though we know that it will all be wrapped up. Once again, Big Man becomes an expertly designed character who’s extreme violence only exists in the framework of a sort of vigilante justice that exists for bringing justice to marginalized groups. Never in a million years would I have guessed the big secret that kicked Big Man into action but it is wonderfully written without seeming like a poor gimmick.
Powell and Wiesch surprisingly packed a hell of a lot of heart into this final issue and it surprisingly doesn’t come off as too corny. Instead, we’re left with an extremely complex character who certainly has his own issues and is by no means perfect, but also has a ton of love and respect for people who aren’t treated right. It would’ve been far too easy for Powell and Wiesch to turn Big Man into a joke or a punchline and I’m happy to see that they managed to finish out this miniseries by maintaining a character who stayed interesting throughout. Big Man’s an underdog by all means, but he’s also a man fighting for all the right reasons in a world that routinely looks the other way instead of helping.
And while I don’t want to spoil anything for potential readers, let me just say that this issue is absolutely heartbreaking. Ultimately, I think we all knew that something seriously had to have gone wrong if Big Man went back to his hometown to do nothing but murder some dudes but I really wasn’t expecting it to wrap up in such an emotional way.
Extreme violence has also been something this series has been full of and Powell really outdoes himself in this issue. The art (and the violence) has essentially gone hand in hand with presenting the story and making it as brutal as it should be and this final issue goes in a blaze of glory. The third issue had its fair share of panels that were sure to make a few readers queasy but this issue is full of gore that’ll probably make anyone a bit squeamish. Powell, however, often decides to not depict some of the violence right out and instead shows us the brutal aftermath which is fitting for the series. After all, this series isn’t so much about the bad things people do but how those bad things affects others.
Powell prints many of these moments in absolutely breathtaking two page spreads which weaves the past into the bloody future and the effect is wonderful. On top of that, Powell outlines the pages in smeared blood as if someone was flipping pages with bloody hands and accidentally made the comic messy. It looks great and it really hammers in how pervasive and outlasting violence can be.
There are also some really great art techniques that Powell uses to differentiate between certain moments of Big Man’s Past and the present. The past is presented in sketchy, rough, sepia-tone panels while the present in presented in sharp outlines and mostly dark gray panels with a background of bright colors during key moments of violence. It makes these changes in time easy to differentiate and will keep you hooked.
Big Man Plans #4 was everything I could’ve hoped for this series and was a brilliant issue to wrap everything up. I wouldn’t be surprised if Big Man Plans gained a large cult following as it’s a stunning miniseries with a surprising amount of punch for only 4 issues. And, with it only being 4 issues long, it’s easy to jump into and finish without feeling like you’ll be reading issues for the rest of your life.
Big Man Plans #4 was the best of the series and I personally can’t wait for the trade to come out as it’s a must have. Don’t miss this issue if you’ve been following this series, and pick this whole series up ASAP if you’ve been missing out.
