Comic Review: Excellence #7

Excellence #7

Image Comics

Writer: Brandon Thomas

Art: Khary Randolph, Emilio Lopez, Deron Bennet

Excellence is real and it is back! Image’s ongoing series has returned after the comic book drought and it is as compelling as ever.

Spencer Dales has decisively stuck with his original plan, after being betrayed by his father, and we kick off with a mirror spell which Spencer uses to lose a squadron of Aegis’ wizards who have come for him, led by Dequan Hill. Our protagonist sets off into the night towards some key locations we see on the very first page of this chapter. Spencer is seeking to settle the final details of his master plan against the Aegis and no infamous wizard will stop him now.

Thomas’ choice for highly non-linear storytelling is, as far as I can tell a “problem” in this issue. I state that lightly as we all have to consider that no creative team was expecting the recess in comic distribution we had this year, even more so if the series started last year. Nonetheless, unless you’re binge reading this comic from the beginning, this new issue can be a little confusing. Despite all that, Thomas still writes his characters in an incredibly heartwarming and relatable manner. Now consider that this is a decisive turning point in the story and Spencer seeking closure before a dangerous endeavor and the dialogues become even more cathartic. It’s also notable how smartly the writer used the mirror spell once again to approach multiple plot points at once without making it feel rushed at all.

It is a delight to read any comic illustrated by Khary Randolph. His movement depiction is on point, particularly if we consider the subtle motions reproduced in the characters’ clothing floating with magic, on the snow falling down on the city and on a simple mist coming up from a cup of tea. Yet, what I love the most about his work are the facial expressions. The amount of change made to a character’s face against how it changes the feeling it gives forward is amazing. The coloring in this issue takes a bigger part since they’re used mainly to indicate which of Spencer’s clone we’re following at the moment. Sneakily inserting the backgrounds with an individual color until the many Spencers come to a simultaneous realization that their game of cat and mouse with Hill and his squad of wizards is up and we get a multicolored panel beautifully reflecting exactly what is happening on the narrative.

We get mainly three fonts in this issue’s lettering. There are some situational captions, as we had in previous issues, which show us which Spencer we’re following. There are squares that are nicely lettered to mimic Spencer’s diary. I use “nicely” because in most comics, whenever there is a diary-type font I can almost never read without squinting (yes, I do wear glasses). There is a third, standard font that is masterfully composed for the dialogue bubbles.

Excellence continues to live up to its name with amazing creativity and talent. It should keep up the pace as long as it steers onto its conclusion and I hope dearly that it is reminded a long way down the line as a modern classic of comic books.