(W & A) Declan Shalvey
It was a shame we had to rearrange the Declan Shalvey signing. It was for very understandable reasons and hopefully we can reschedule for January so we can tell him face to face just how good this issue was.
Time Before Time has been another great series from Image Comics so far, and now the first collected trade is available, which contains the first 5 issues. With this one, Shalvey is taking the reins on art for one issue to tell a standalone story in this universe, which is a treat for us single issue readers given that this won’t appear in the trade collections.
This one-shot focuses on just how lucrative a business that time relocation has become, and the desperate lengths that some people will go to in order to escape their past and get that elusive fresh start.
The bulk of the action is set in 1994, as a family has bent some rules to get relocated from 2140. The courier who helped them bend those rules is on the run from his employers, and we also spend some time with members of The Syndicate, who are chasing this agent who went against the rules.
I’m all for this one shot format as a way for the creators to take a break from the main narrative and build upon the mythology they are establishing. This is a great start for these one shots with a story that’s exciting and heartbreaking all at the same time. Regular series artist Joe Palmer is great on the main series, but it’s always a treat to see Shalvey’s noir sensibility in sequential art.
Highly recommended, as is the trade paperback to get you caught up in this world.