Advance Review: Christopher Chaos #10
This series has been a such a great ride and The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos #10 is no exception! Tate Brombal has consistently pushed the limits and outdone himself many times over in this young series, and this week’s issue is a testament to its unwavering creativity and intrigue.
One of the standout aspects of this issue is its refocus on Christopher, the enigmatic protagonist, at a pivotal moment in his journey to finding himself. We find him at one of his most vulnerable points, grappling with fundamental questions about his identity, origin, and purpose. This existential crisis drives him to actions that are both troubling and thought-provoking, and we see how these actions are impacting his relationships with the most important in his life.
Brombal’s writing perfectly captures the mystery, suspense, and emotional depth of Christopher’s world in this new arc, creating a narrative that is both gripping and unsettling. We see the development of new characters that will undoubtedly pose a major threat down the road, while also getting to see the early stages of additional growth for characters like Viv, Jordi, and Adam. One of the more intriguing aspects of the issue was the presence of Christopher’s mom, who we have only really seen tangentially at this point. I’m really interested to see these two interact more and watch their relationship unfold.
I’ve always loved Isaac Goodhart’s artwork on this series and this issue complements Brombal’s script so well, capturing the essence of Christopher's turmoil and the surreal world he inhabits. There are panels showing Christopher in various stages of torture peppered throughout the issue that are breadcrumbs for what is revealed towards the end of the issue. The depth of expressions and the resulting range of emotions Goodhart is able to provide these characters is truly impressive. Randomly, one of my favorite panels in the entire issue is a close up of Christopher’s cereal bowl. I don’t know why, but it drew me in and looked so neat!
Miquel Muerto’s colors continue to shine, but for the first time I realized just how impressive they are given the context of this issue. It was quite the juxtaposition to see the usual bright, bubblegum color palette used for the heavy, mental journey Christopher is on. You wouldn’t expect these to go together, but Muerto expertly used shadows to draw attention to the darker moments.
I also need to give a special shoutout to two of the cover artists for this issue: Nick Robles with the main cover and Luciano Vecchio’s variant. These are not only awesome covers, but stunning works of art! The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos #10 seemingly marks a turning point for Christopher himself and is a must-read for fans of the series!
Rating: 10/10
