If you’ve been reading Public Domain (and if you aren’t, I highly suggest you do since it’s one of the best comics on the stands), you’d know that it is a razor-sharp, often heartwrenching look at the ups and downs of the comic book industry. That balance is partly due to Chip Zdarsky’s writing/art, and it isn’t the first time he’s taken an unorthodox approach to a comic series. His Batman run has the Dark Knight seriously contemplating his own mortality, while Spider-Man: Life Story presented a story where Peter Parker aged in real-time. The Domain #2 by Zdarsky, Rachael Stott, Eren Angiolini and Jeff Powell continues this trend by exploring what would really happen if you found an alien weapon.
True to form, Zdarsky presents some hilarious – but also realistic – outcomes for Eddie, Liz and Destiny. When Destiny floats the possibility that the bracelets they found could make them superheroes, Liz also points out that it could make them supervillains or even worse, poison them with cosmic radiation. When a group of aliens come to Earth, they don’t arrive with fire and the threat of Armageddon, but rather they start a bar fight. There’s even a hilarious moment at Signs‘ expense, which by itself is enough to recommend this book to readers.
But there’s also some genuinely human moments. Liz’s relationship is on the rocks, while Destiny has an experience that shows that being a superhero isn’t like what you see in the comics. The powers of the Domain can also only be used by one person at a time, which causes friction between the trio – especially when it comes to Eddie, since he immediately tries to lay down rules (and those rules get broken.) It mirrors the current conflict in Public Domain about updating a comic for a new audience, and how like the heroes they shape creators can butt heads about the direction of a story.
Stott’s artwork also isn’t what you’d expect from the typical superhero comic. Instead of colorful costumes, whenever the main trio uses the Domain bracelets, they get a form fitting green and gold suit (with Liz’s adding a mask.) The group of alien pirates who come to Earth also look distinct from each other; while their leader is humanoid, possessing flowing white hair and rugged good looks, there’s another that feels like a mass of stone with four eyes. She also has fun showing off the effects of superhuman strength; bodies fly from one panel to the next with a resounding impact and a rush of air. Angiolini’s collection of colors helps settle the difference between the mundane and the cosmic, with the latter being more vibrant and eye catching.
The Domain #2 continues to serve as both a unique story in its own right and a parallel to its flagship series, taking a unique approach to superhero origins. I’m genuinely curious as to what comes next, particularly with what tropes the creative team will skewer next.
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