Written by: Pierrick Colinet
Art by: Elsa Charretier
Publisher: IDW
I love The Infinite Loop. I love the story, the artwork and the strong beliefs behind its message. Everything about it screams excitement and heart, grouped together by two talented creators that have unique ways of bringing this tale to life. In The Infinite Loop #4, Teddy is dealing with the loss of her true love, Ano in the worst possible way. When the past, present and future merge and the various strands of time form a wibbly wobbly, timey wimey (shameless Doctor Who reference!) mess, will there be drastic consequences afoot?
Right from the start, Pierrick’s intelligence is on show and the story blends previous issues’ stories together, whilst giving the overarching story plenty of time to breathe. In the hands of another, the plot could be deemed confusing and out of sync; however, Colinet’s ability to make sense of the madness gives comfort to the reader and helps to maintain lucidity. At times, you feel the tension with every panel—as every page turns, you are aware that something big is going to happen and the way Pierrick writes gives you confidence in his ability not to disappoint. As the issue draws to a close, the sorrow felt at the end of #3 is somewhat diluted, and the sun shines through the clouds to give hope. Teddy has so many layers and we see plenty of different sides to her; she is a flawed, vulnerable and scornful—she has lost everything she thought she would never have. Finding out what happens to her has always been a major draw for me. With any look, she will find happiness, even if it isn’t in the way we may have assumed earlier in the run.
Elsa’s enthusiasm breaks through the louder panels and when the going gets tough, the colours illuminate the pages and the story. There are three colours that sit at the heart of her work: orange, yellow and blue. They make The Infinite Loop unique and help it to stand apart from the rest. Like green in The Matrix, it is distinguishable—Elsa has left her mark with this trinity of colour and it suits the comic perfectly.
Once again, Pierrick Colinet and Elsa Charretier have added another excellent issue to the 6-part run and with only two left to go, I am equally happy and sad. I don’t want it to end, but I am enthused by the prospect of yet another issue—reading comic books is so hard.
