Comics Korner: Big Man Plans #2

The Big Man is back for blood, and nobody’s knees are safe.

Eric Powell and Tim Wiesch’s Big Man Plans #2 was published by Image Comics last week. This is the second of four for this series, part of a short run for a short man. However, much like a fisher cat, if you mistake his size for cuteness, you’re bound to get mauled.

The Skinny
The little ball of rage is back to dish out more vengeance, this time on some local law enforcement. He’s able to get the drop on one, but his luck runs out by the middle of the issue. He’s forced to find a way down before he burns up. News flash, this little guy ain’t ever going to quit.

The Good
This book is as gruesome as it is empowering. Hearing the Big Man’s life story of tragedy and turmoil just for being different tugs at the heart. But it’s ok because scenes showing his victim looking like he had his skull punched out makes it all better and makes him an easy character to root for. The book is drawn very well, with Powell’s style of scratchy detail luring me to the next panel. I also like the page variation and nontraditional layouts, especially the white based pages with the silhouetted torture.

The Not-So Good
The pacing of this book is rapid quick and really suspenseful. Because of this tension, I found myself flying through the layouts without pausing to appreciate the art as much. I like the lack of a lot of needless dialogue to fill the pages, but with the larger typeface, it’s definitely a swift story. All the more reason to read it again though, right?

The Decision
Seeing as the whole run is only four issues, I’m pretty sure I’ll be reading all four issues multiple times. Watching the Big Man’s struggle, paired with his payback is violently motivating. I bet everyone wishes they had the ability to dismantle their adversaries with no remorse. He went through hell in this issue, and I cannot wait to see what he does about it.