Comic Review: Little Bird #2

Little Bird #2

Image Comics

Writer: Darcy Van Poelgeest

Artist: Ian Bertram

Little Bird is not a comic that holds your hand. A more apt analogy would be that it ropes your hands to the back of its horse, forgets you’re there, and sets off on its own. This, of course, leaves you disoriented and with a face full of dirt, but it’s thrilling.  This creates one of the most unique and interesting stories being told in the medium right now.

One of the most exciting things about this book is that there are many things I don’t understand about it. It introduces so many strange characters and locations, all with their own histories that we don’t totally know about. The combined world-building effort of Ian Bertram’s art and Darcy Van Poelgeest’s meticulous dialogue implies such a cohesive vision. At the same time, it leaves so much of itself ambiguous. It allows you to fill in blanks yourself and take your time and learn for yourself what this world is. The more effort you put in, the more you get out of it. The less you put in, the more bewildering it seems. Both are fine ways to read, but it’s the fact that it allows you to do this that is so impressive.

A lesser book would ram its exposition down your throat because it feels that it needs to impress you. Little Bird, on the other hand, reeks of confidence in its own vision. It lets the exposition hang in the air, allowing you the free will to pick it up if you desire.

As mentioned before, the strength of the world-building is in no small part due to Ian Bertram’s art. The backgrounds and scenery are brimming with details and information. So much so, that under a different artist this book would literally not be the same. The world derives so much of its personality from Bertram that any other artist would be drawing a different book entirely. The character and location designs are so distinct from any other book, you will never mistake a page from this book for another.

In truth, none of these feats would be possible without the increased page length. This issue clocks in with 38 pages of content, as opposed to the 20-ish pages of most comics these days. This doesn’t allow them to necessarily cover more ground in terms of plot, rather it allows it some breathing room. With a book as high-concept and weird as this, it would be easy to feel as if you’re being tossed back-and-forth between scenes trying desperately to tell its story. The extra pages allow the book to take its time and not rush through anything. It feels natural, and it’s a welcome change from the norm.

Little Bird #2 is nearly perfect in terms of comics storytelling. It’s obviously a book made from a passion for the medium, and it utilizes the strengths to craft a story that could only be told in comics. It’s a book with a vision, and while much of it will likely sail over readers heads as it does mine, it doesn’t make it feel any less special. Little Bird demands your attention and deserves every bit of it.