DC Comics
Welcome to Tranquility #9
By Zak Edwards
August 5, 2007 - 23:54

DC Comics
Writer(s): Gail Simone
Penciller(s): Neil Googe, Leandro Fernãndez
Cover Artist(s): Neil Googe



Welcome to Tranquility #9


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Gail Simone’s wonderfully innovative and charming Welcome to Tranquility seems to be losing steam.  While the original concept of a town inhabited mostly by old, retired super-heroes was fun to begin with, as were the characters that came with the series, the whole thing doesn’t retain that original draw.  This book would be so much better, in this reviewer’s opinion, if every story-line didn’t revolve around a ‘destruction of the town’ problem.  I would be very content to watch these elderly super-powered individuals squabble over things like fence lines and bad coffee at the diner simply because it is the characters that make this whole idea work.  Not ground-breaking visuals or amazing life-or-death situations; just the redeeming charm of people older, wiser, and grumpier than myself.  Yet as it stands, the citizens of Tranquility are faced with the possibility of a zombie invasion and some outstanding debts with the devil himself.

Simone continues to introduce new characters while the others are left out of the spotlight to collect dust, which is very possible given their average age.  We have yet to figure how many of the other people in Tranquility are dealing with the last story arc as we are thrust into a new one.  More specifically Pink Bunny and the pregnant Leona.  In this issue alone, readers are introduced to four new characters and one special guest from Simone’s other project, Gen 13.  One of the new characters, Coyote Kid, is also given a six-page separate origin story, taking those pages away from the actual story and cutting it down to a meager eighteen.  While the origin story is still as unoriginal as the others Simone has come up with (this one using the ‘family gets killed and our hero swears revenge’ story) and it is fairly well-written, I still feel like it could have been a small two-page interlude in the other story like she used to do.  During the first arc, Simone would have old-looking comic pages that served to tell some of the pasts of the characters.  These worked extremely well, and should have continued to be used, or not introduce so many new characters.  All that being said, this issue does have some redeeming moments; like the zombie on the autopsy table, or one of the teens with the Gen 13 member.  They serve as comedic devices that Simone knows how to use very well.  I also enjoy the face time Zeke the gravedigger is getting, he has grown on me as the series has progressed.  The overall story doesn’t grab me, though.  I’ll be sticking with it to see if the series can return to some of it’s awesome characters and ideas.

The art, handled by Tranquility regular Neil Googe and also Leandro Fernãndez.  Both stories are well drawn with style.  None of it is eye-popping or incredibly original, but both use their skills to help properly tell the story.  Isn’t that what it all boils down to anyway?  I’ve become used to Googe’s art, and any replacement would have to do some convincing, and Fernãndez has a style that is not too far away from the original.  Both work well together, and there is no complaints from me.

6.5/10    I’m waiting for this series to go back to the way it was, original and endearing.

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