For the third time in a row, Plastic Man No More! has outdone itself, as #3 proved to be a masterpiece. Christopher Cantwell, Alex Lins, Jacob Edgar, Marcelo Maiolo, and Becca Carey have come together to create a book that gets to the heart of Plastic Man’s character without shying away from his flaws. With horror and betrayal defining this series, it is only natural that they would lean into it more in the third issue.
From the very first page of Plastic Man No More! #3, the paneling jumps out as its most unique element. Standard nine-panel layouts break convention by literally swinging and falling off the pages. It represents a broken book, which perfectly suits Eel’s current shattered state of mind.
The shift in narrative tone is also a welcome sight. In Plastic Man No More! #2, the Justice League sections were already beginning to appear stale and easily could have been eye-rolling if it appeared another time. Here, however, Cantwell offers a clever twist on the concept. Rather than reiterating the same note for the third time in a row, readers are treated to a new side of an old favorite.
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Eel finally snaps, and Plastic Man No More! proves that its title is not just literal. Rather than molding himself to every situation, Eel is no longer willing to bend to every molding. He is finally ready to snap. More than anything else, that sets this issue apart from any other Plastic Man appearance in recent memory.
Despite the notable change in Eel’s perspective, the comic itself does maintain a good balance of humor and tragedy. Uranium is generally the funniest member of the roster, as his ever-snarky responses serve as a refreshing reminder of just how deranged Eel’s plan actually is. Luke also does a good job of that. Comic books can have a habit of helping readers dive so far into the fantasy elements that it can be difficult to see the absurd for its absurdity. Uranium, Detective Chimp, and Luke all serve as grounding characters, despite the fact that each are ridiculous concepts in-and-of-themselves.
Without spoiling the tragic twist at the end of the issue, it also serves as a turning-point for Eel. He is finally at the point where he can no longer cling to his heroism. Plastic Man No More is taking him apart in every conceivable way. He is a superhero no more, a law-abiding citizen no more, and a friend and ally no more. Just as this comic began with Eel in the position of a villain, he is finally returning to his roots in the worst possible way.
There is a tragic interlude in the story that seems to imply a happy ending. The two-page spread feels out of place at first, but any amount of deeper thought puts it in a truly painful context. That final happy-go-lucky spread marks the moment of no return for Eel. Though Plastic Man No More! #3 offers him a way out — a tool for redemption — he is incapable of grasping it. With his fingers turning to goo, it slips out of his hand and launches into a great explosion.
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With all of the narrative analysis done, it is also worth considering the art that has been setting this comic apart from the beginning. While the stylistic shifts have served extraordinary purposes before, it is beginning to reach the point where it muddles the story. The leaps from the Justice League scenes to Detective Chimp and back to Eel’s melting face no longer have the impact that they once did. This may be a consequence of the format, as the month-to-month wait has rendered it somewhat typical when thinking about the book It will be interesting to read it in trade, where it may not feel so overdone.
That said, the art remains incredible. The coloring is unique for every scene, as Plastic Man No More! #3 grows darker both literally and figuratively with every passing page. The simplistic stretching skin style that has defined the character appears in just one scene and is immediately replaced by a grotesque depiction of his rotting flesh. It is hard not to see the contrast, which is what makes the book so fundamentally compelling. Horror is the very root of Plastic Man No More!, and every single creator involved understood that message.
Plastic Man No More! #3 is certainly an oversized book. There are enough pages to fill two issues and enough story to fill an entire arc. Anyone who enjoyed previous issues should certainly pick up this latest release, even if only to prepare themselves for whatever fresh hell Eel cooks for himself in the following release. Something big is coming for Eel, and it could be a literal blast.
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