After the explosive conclusion to Public Domain #9, it’s time to unpack Public Domain #10, which is out this week. The main character, Syd, has discovered his wife was unfaithful, and now it’s time to find out how that happened. It’s a flashback issue, and a bottle episode detailing his wife’s slow process of straying.
Public Domain #10 jumps to multiple years starting in 1988. At the start, Syd and his wife Candy are attending a Christmas party, and it’s already awkward. Syd’s feeling pressure from Jerry, the big writer, and work is already taking a toll on their marriage. Since we already know who Candy cheated with, we navigate the party and every moment, wondering how things will pan out. Zdarsky draws it out in a good way, revealing a relationship built over the years.
So begins a rather mature look at infidelity. Zdarsky handles the reveal with care, revealing Candy’s slow interest in the person she’ll cheat on Syd with and how her husband’s crazy work hours contributed to her sleeping with someone else. It’s not about sex, as we learn, but connection and a lack of attention from her husband. As Jack Kirby said, “Comics will break your heart.” As we see here, it’s the spillover of the industry’s brutal deadlines.
Ah, the 80s.
Credit: Image
Told from Candy’s perspective, Zdarsky shows us a side of the comics industry that likely affects many spouses and loved ones. This issue also confirms Jerry is a total jerk and deserves what is coming to him. Later in the issue, we get a check-in with Syd’s team, helping flesh out the humanity in all of them. Dave, for instance, is pretty selfish, but he’s also assured the team can deal without him when he’s off in Tijuana.
If you’re wondering about the larger story, this issue deals with a good last few pages. They reveal Jerry is aware of how screwed his team is as far as the IP wars are concerned, which should blow up into something grand with all his money and backing. More importantly, Syd’s point of view of things is likely going to change with the knowledge of his wife’s infidelity. Can this knowledge shift course as far as his approach to The Domain?
Public Domain continues to be a very human look at the people behind creating comics. A sort of bottle episode, this issue delves into the backstory of Syd and his wife Candy, revealing how the industry can take so much, leaving the people with scraps to heal and rediscover.
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