Review — ‘Redcoat’ #12 Relies On Too Much Exposition And Not Enough Story Development

After the introduction of the time travelling Northerner last issue, one would expect any follow up to be more dramatic, more dynamic, more fast paced as the story progresses. But this issue doesn’t do that. Rather, it gives us even more exposition and a rather corny and ham-fisted single panel realisation by Simon Pure that slavery is bad. It’s all rather pedestrian stuff and a rare mis-step by writer Geoff Johns for a series that I have found very engaging with its mix of superhero tropes but set in the mythologized past of the War of Independence and everything that came after that.

Of course, there are some stand out moments, but they are more artistic flairs of brilliance from Bryan Hitch rather than anything narrative. One such moment is a spread across the top part of two pages when Simon has another debilitating vision offering the readers a tantalizing glance at past. And while reading this issue, wishing we were there with him. Rather than here listening to, effectively, two men talking for a good part of this issue.

By the time any real action arrives, the issue is all but over. As is this review, given how little there is to say about this issue.

Redcoat #12 is out now from Ghost Machine/Image Comics