A masterful reflection (in) humanity

The best stories not only contain elements of truth but act as mirrors to reveal the truth to the reader. By that measure alone, the entirety of Rodney Barnes’ work Philadelphia So far it’s been an incredibly good story, but this week Philadelphia #25 goes beyond “incredibly good” to land among the best as it furthers the story of a supernatural battle for Philadelphia and, more broadly, humanity itself.

The story of this case is told in multiple parts through the perspectives of a handful of its key players. We begin with a conversation between the demon Korsun and the deceitful god Anansi as they attempt to negotiate an end to this war that seems destined to end in the total destruction of humanity – something that would dramatically change the status quo for both Korsun and Korsun. Anansi. We also get the point of view of Jim Sangster, a detective-turned-vampire who’s been on the streets and actually fighting in the war as he reflects on how this whole mess began, his life, and the nature of love and hope. We also check in with his son, waiting at home with his pregnant girlfriend and feeling anxious, wishing for more time. Through these perspectives, we see not only the battle, but what’s really at stake.

It’s an interesting narrative choice, but one that works well here because it gives perspective to a central truth: humanity may be beyond saving, or it may simply have reached its expiration date. Corson and Anansi go back and forth on why this must be stopped and humanity saved, but Corson points out that humans are already doing the things he wants them to do without him having to lift a finger. We have lost our humanity, our empathy, the basics of our dignity, and our hope. For Courson, this war is an opportunity to cleanse the palate, if you will, because humanity has been wrong. At the same time, through Sangster’s narrative, we see much the same thing, humanity becoming cold and bitter, losing hope and sympathy. But even so, we see sparks of hope as he reveals that he learned to love even in all this darkness.

It’s an interesting and somewhat bleak bit of self-reflection for the reader, which Barnes does best, but it’s bolstered by incredible art from Jason Shawn Alexander who uses real-life examples and current events to drive the idea that we might’ve stopped being human to each other. Certainly, the characters in Philadelphia They are in pure fantasy hell, but the suggestion is that the real world is a hell of our own making. It’s a lot to take in, especially when it’s delivered on the pages of a comic book – and punctuated by a surprising, unsettling ending that sees the death of a character readers didn’t like so much at the start of his journey, but who grew bitter and angry into the real pulse of this tale. It doesn’t bode well for the chapters to come, but it certainly gives the reader a lot to think about.

Philadelphia #25 is a truly outstanding issue and continues to offer readers a great story on the page and a lot to consider after the comic book closes. The only slight mistake, if you can call it that, is that Son-Sangster’s short perspective is probably not necessary and serves to break the flow in what was otherwise an incredible pacing of back-and-forth batting with the weight of, well. Everything is in balance. But even then, this is truly an impressive master work of an issue that asks as many questions as it answers and asks the reader to examine themselves as much as the story on the page.

posted by photo comics

on me November 30, 2022

written by Rodney Barnes

art through Jason Shawn Alexander

Colors Lee Loughridge

Letters by Marshall Dillon

coverage by Jason Shawn Alexander

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