Review: ‘Something Epic’ #2 Continues To Bring Weight With Whimsy

Welcome to the table,

I recall vividly my first visit to the Comics Art Museum in Brussels, Belgium in my early 20s. Seeing comics and animation treated like fine art, at a time when my parents openly made fun of artists and treated the art of storytelling as a foolish pursuit that should be put away in lieu of a more traditional career, was life-affirming for me. That was the trip where I left most of my clothes in Europe, returning with a suitcase overstuffed with comics.

My prized possession from that trip was a full run of Régis Loisel‘s Peter Pan. The inspiration those books gave me has fueled me for years, and to date, I still have a framed picture of Loisl’s Tinkerbell sitting on my desk as a reminder that it’s okay to be creative, it’s okay to tell stories and build worlds and enjoy the process. This messy little fairy has kept me going more times than I can count over the years, and every time we move it’s one of the first things that gets unpacked and set on my desk.

I tell you that to tell you this:

I don’t know Szymon Kudranski, but issue #2 of Something Epic has me convinced we are cut from the same cloth. There is a moment in the last few pages that when I got to it, I actually sat stunned for a few moments. I don’t know where that story thread is going but if I was not already completely hooked on this book, I for sure am now.

The book is the creation of Szymon Kudranski, who writes and illustrates the work, and it is lettered by DC Hopkins. Much like issue one, this story is a brilliant commentary on everything from social perception, to grief, to feeling helpless in the face of an illness that you can not cure. The variety of art forms and entertainment mediums represented in the imaginary entities who inhabit the world are only outnumbered by the moments where the dialog impacts like some blast from the past.

The story revolves around Danny. As Danny’s mother’s illness progresses, we learn more about the imaginary entities that seemingly only he can see. There are darker beings who feed on the fear and worry of those in pain. Other, more soothing and lighthearted versions of these otherworldly creatures look like manifestations from well-known comics, films, and cartoons, and seem to try to provide comfort to those who can’t even observe their efforts.

Something Epic continues to parallel the harsh realities we have all been forced to face from time to time and the characters we use to help us escape those stressors made manifest. Szymon Kudranski provides one of the most intelligently crafted commentaries on how we as people navigate this thing called life that I have ever seen.

I do not want to spoil anything for you, but a new entity named Dalia arrives on the scene towards the end of issue #2 and there are seeds planted that things are going to get more and more strange, and probably more and more epic, as this series continues.

If you are looking for a comic series that has some emotional weight to it you may really enjoy Something Epic. I know I sure do!

Until next time…