Big Man Plans #4 (of 4)
Publisher: Image
Writer(s): Eric Powell & Tim Wiesch
Artist: Eric Powell
Cover: Eric Powell
Last issue things got a little dark but to say that the final issue of this series takes a darker turn is quite the understatement. Actually, it’s also a bit of a surprise considering what Powell and Wiesch have revealed to us over the past three issues. But this one indeed goes above and beyond as the secrets that set Big Man on this path of revenge are brought to light and he dishes out the pain like no other.
Wiesch and Powell have done excellent work in this series by balancing out some of the more disturbing moments with heart and meaning behind them. It’s the thing that adds more weight to the narrative and keeps things from getting repetitive and boring. The flashbacks that dig deeper into the relationship between Holly and Big Man establish everything you need to know about them but holding that reveal until right now was just great pacing. They also reinforce that Big Man isn’t just some unfeeling and heartless beast but someone who didn’t have too many good people in his life to begin with. Now they’re gone and one was because of the violent acts of others. Powell and Wiesch
The issue’s visual storytelling is a little different here as it’s told across double pages with single pages at the beginning and end. It’s a nice flow and as you go further into the story the fingerprints and splashes on the page edges progressively get bloodier. Not sure if it’s supposed to be Frank’s or Big Man’s but it’s a nice little visual touch that helps set things off. As far as what’s in the panels should be no surprise there. Powell has been giving us striking visuals here since the first issue and it continues here. There’s still the slight style change and sepia-like color palette for the flashbacks that helps to set them apart from the current events place. Even when things get violent and bloody in those sequences he chooses to only let a little of the bleed from the edges seep in so you get brief flashes of red. The characters are expressive enough that the terror and fear is almost palpable. The panels for the current events are a little brighter in color but the dark tone is still there and there’s some shocking events taking place. Like with the small reveal of what happens to the colostomy bag before Powell pulls the curtain back later and we get the full view. You will be stuck on that page for a few seconds and might even go back to it a few times. There’s a few panels at the end that are pretty emotional and the absence of dialogue bubbles just makes the moment that much stronger.
Big Man Plans may not be for everyone and that’s fine. But if you want to read a revenge story that has a complicated lead character, some heart, and visceral action scenes then Big Man Plans may just be what you’re looking for.
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