In Case You Missed It: Comeback (Image Comics)

In lieu of a Brand New Feature, some weeks we will instead feature a collected work that has come out that week. With so many series launching each week, this column gives a nod to a completed mini-series or arc "In Case You Missed It."

By Ed Brisson, Michael Walsh and Jordie Bellaire

Is five million dollars worth it to save a loved one from dying? Time travel is nothing new to literature in any medium at this point, but that does not mean that a writer cannot use this in a new way. Ed Brisson's story in Comeback is unique, small, and eloquently executed. Imagine you suffered the loss of a loved one and there existed a way, shortly thereafter, to undo this tragedy. With the right money, this person could be saved and returned to you. Unfortunately, as is often the case, time travel is not legal, and the heat is on.

Comeback opens with a rescue mission of an adult male. This is not a military operation, though, and is instead a routine endeavor by Reconnect to reunite loved ones at a pretty steep price. It is through this initial excursion that readers are able to piece together the particulars of this new world's rules. Time travel can only extend back 67 days. In order to avoid anomalies, the events that lead to the individual's demise need to still occur or be manufactured. There are many other specific intricacies to Brisson's tale but they are all calculated and flow through the story effortlessly.

Now bring in the law. What if you were not as clean as you thought in the recreating? Comeback follows Mark and Seth, two agents who work for Reconnect, a time travel agency that caters to the rich. Early on, the duo is not as perfect as they needed to be and suddenly their operation is on the FBI radar. Mark and Seth soon realize that their mistake may not be the only problem for Reconnect as the agency has a mole. Brisson tells his story over five issues and it is a complete package. The cast never grows too large and the science fiction never makes a mess of itself. Though this series existed in five issues, the collected edition reads so well together, it will be hard to imagine having to wait between issues. 

What unfolds is a cat and mouse game that ups the anty with the ability to move about in both time and space. The FBI is racing to make their case before the culprits become aware and use time traveling to undo any actions that may have led to their discovery. Likewise, some of the Reconnect agents begin to experience side effects from all of their time jumps. Soon, the story involves doubles of characters, betrayal and all of a sudden it is hard to decide who is right and what is real. 

The art team on the book, made up of Michael Walsh and Jordie Bellaire capture the story perfectly. The pace is fast and the panel work and story boarding never get in the way of that. Walsh brings a really cool design element to the product and there are a few sequences when the visual appeal of the events will fascinate readers. It is a wonder this story is not already in development as it will captivate it audience from the outset. Having been compared to Looper, Brisson has created a violent science fiction story that is wholly its own and perhaps one of the best handled time travel thrillers in recent memory. Do yourself a favor and pick this story up. You might wonder how you finished it so quickly before handing it off to a friend.

Writing: 8/10

Art: 8/10

Overall: 8/10