Written By: J. Michael Straczynski
Art By: Guiu Vilanova
Publisher: Dynamite
The thing that made The Twilight Zone such a great TV series was that it almost never failed to keep us on the edge of our seats. We kept watching because we knew there had to be some kind of trick. There was something off and something unexpected. We knew that the ending would be beyond anything we could imagine. With that in mind, The Twilight Zone comic and issue #7 succeed in delivering a great Twilight Zone experience.
Its important to note that the series was hyped as an interlocking series of 3 main stories and this issue is probably where the interlocking gets super apparent. Because Diana’s story is in the middle, she naturally gets a little run off of the previous story and a few hints towards the new. And man is it interesting.
One of the main issues I’ve had with the series is that the stories aren’t exactly new; they’re instead updated and rewritten versions of classic episodes. The first few issues with Trevor was that classic episode about a man getting a new life he’s happy with – until he discovers someone moved into his old life. And Diana’s arc was most recently done as a school shooting episode in the Forest Whitaker reboot of The Twilight Zone. Basically, a woman can sorta kinda sense/tell the future but isn’t exactly sure what it means or how to stop it. With issue #7 though, things get a bit more interesting and mysterious as you begin to understand that there may be a reason that all 3 characters are beginning to meet and mix arcs over the event that is the most pressing, that arc and turmoil belonging mostly to Diana.
Guiu Vilanova’s artwork is a perfect match to the series. It’s extremely realistic, highly detailed, and does a great job of using noir inspired scenes and style when the mystery deepends and key events take place. I often found myself looking at the entire background of panels just because they’re done with so much attention to small details that help with the realism. The coffee shop Diana works with is well-stocked with many items hanging on the walls. A run down an alley is complete with a car driving by the street behind. It makes the entire story and universe come together in a way that is perfectly suited for the subject material. The final panel in particular is hauntingly beautiful.
When it comes to the writing, done by J. Michael Straczynski, I have a hard time really feeling one way or the other about it. It’s not bad by any means but it seems to lack that extra something to really draw your attention. It would be easy for me to mark it down as it being a little boring due to essentially being a rewrite, but the updated version of “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” was a very nice update that exemplified the United States’ xenophobia is a post 9/11 world and nailed the comparison between the UFO crazed 1950’s/60’s. It’s more that Diana’s story seems particularly drawn out and full of somewhat odd events that make less sense when you think about them being part of a comic series. Diana’s powers have more than been cemented within this arc and she has more than enough evidence to know that what she’s seeing/hearing about is a most likely definite future event, it seems odd that nearly an entire issue is spent with her seemingly running around trying to convince authorities that something is going on but now wanting to leave her name or anything. And when she does finally get some 1 on 1 time with authorities she offers up a very unconvincing and somewhat shady sounding “No really I don’t have anything to do with it, you won’t believe how I know, but please trust me!” In the space of a half hour episode this would’ve been perfectly fine. We’d know that it would wrap up one way or another and the story would finish up soon. And while this series isn’t long or anything, dedicating an entire issue to seemingly no real attempt at ending conflict is an odd choice. It’s by no means written badly or anything. The issue actually contains a very thought provoking monologue by one of the potential bad guys that was a great look into his character and why certain things are happening. But after that series of panels, there isn’t much within that issue that really grabs hold.
I’m still ultimately extremely interested in the overall series and what’s going to happen. Perhaps the best thing issue #7 did was make you eager to finish the series due to its brief interlocking of arcs. You know there’s something happening but you aren’t sure what. I just wish that Straczynski had managed to keep that feeling throughout the whole issue instead of offering tiny glimpses.
