Advance Review: Tyler Crook’s Artwork Continues To Impress In ‘Out Of Alcatraz’ #2

Every once in a while, you see a comic book page or even just a panel and you immediately understand why that particular artist was perfect for that series.

In the case of the second issue of Out of Alcatraz, that revelation becomes clear when looking at a humble panel about halfway through the book. It’s at the top of a fairly nondescript page that only incrementally moves the story along. In fact, the panel itself does little more than simply introduce readers to a small California town in the 1960s. Yet, in the hands of artist Tyler Crook, it ascends to something higher.

Despite having no words and muted colors, this panel has real stopping power. And the rest of the page, though it has no real action and only a single spoken word (lettered by Crook), demonstrates why he is the right artist for this escape story set in 1962. Crook pulls you in and almost forces you to look at his details: the vintage cars, a few small birds, an American flag sagging on a windless day.

Crook’s work in the rest of the book, which continues the story of three inmates who have successfully escaped from the Bay Area prison, is equally impressive. He spends much of the issue on character closeups. And given the characters that he and writer Christopher Cantwell have created all seem to be varying degrees of bad people, it makes for interesting reading. These are not beautiful people by any stretch of the imagination. And Crook shows them in all their hardened glory.

Cantwell’s script becomes increasingly tense. By the end of this issue, the escapees are being chased by virtually everyone – even one of their own. There is one inexplicable choice that one of the men makes that seems driven more by the plot that as a logical character choice. But it’s easy to forgive that venial sin in such an otherwise strong issue.

Out of Alcatraz #2 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, April 23rd from Oni Press.