Tate Brombal’s sci-fi horror series picks back up this week in THE ODDLY PEDESTRIAN LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER CHAOS #3 from Dark Horse Comics. Brombal continues to craft the perfect blend of teenage angst, fantastical action, and monster lore which, when combined, unassumingly holds a mirror to our own world’s inability to accept those who are different from us. This issue follows the trend of peeling back more layers on what’s actually happening in New Briar City with a look at Viv’s background and a lot more revealed on the “bleached assholes” from Helwing Corps.

Brombal’s writing continues to hit heavy without feeling verbose. He’s easily able to capture the essence of teenage drama with quippy word play that keeps characters from being one-dimensional caricatures. The issue’s main story unfolds as an alternate reality version of The Breakfast Club which was a brilliant way for Christopher, Dracula Boy, and Viv to establish a bond for future issues. Viv also gets more backstory through extended solo-panels and we learn that she’s dealing with the burden of her family moving on without her. The trio’s dynamics feel natural and exude a sense of heart that none of them feel comfortable outwardly showing. We’re witnessing teenagers explore serious topics — identity, self-worth, love, etc. — that even adults struggle to understand and act upon. There’s a heart-warming moment when, caught in a life-or-death situation, Christopher pronounces that Dracula Boy and Viv are his friends in front of them. I loved that there wasn’t a prolonged conversation or response to it, it was kind of just acknowledged and then they realized there were more important things going on. Yet it shows that Christopher is finally letting people into his life and that he’s willing to do things to protect them.

The deeper dive into the Helwing Corps came across clunky compared to the effortless storytelling display elsewhere in the book. It was apparent that Brombal has bigger plans for the villainous organization and is trying to provide breadcrumbs without giving away their full story just yet. Dialogue and visual cues indicate the organization is part of a long-line of religious monster hunters, but there is enough unanswered questions that point to more. How are they involved with ghost-like entities that can apparate and how are they so closely connected to people in power in New Briar City? We want to know!

Artist Isaac Goodhart and colorist Miquel Muerto complement Brombal’s story with more deliciously vibrant visuals throughout the issue. I love the details they are adding to the world-building. They’re able to make even the most innocuous background setting feel like something is just not quite right. Goodhart’s designs offer a Saturday-morning cartoon mixed with Japanese horror anime vibe that allows visual jump-scare moments to land thrillingly. Muerto’s colors throughout the first two issues were mostly bold, vibrant palettes and those are still on display in this issue. However, Muerto also uses ample amounts of white during several scenes to effectively create an ominously sterile environment as we explore the inside of Helwing Corps. I loved the visualization of Viv’s powers manifesting during the issue’s final confrontation.

This series continues to surprise and delight me with just how well it delivers on it’s promise. The writing is top notch, the art is fantastic, and you can tell there’s a long-term vision behind every little piece of new information we get each issue. I’m enjoying the special attention that individual characters are getting as Brombal expands this world, though I would love to see more Christopher in each issue. Dracula Boy and Viv have large personalities that can dwarf Christopher’s. There’s a moment in the issue where Brombal teases growth for Christopher’s own self-worth, but we quickly see that it was only in his own mind. It was a tad disappointing since Christopher’s POV is so crucial to elevating the story beyond the traditional outcast-as-a-monster metaphor though I understand he can’t become a new person overnight. With that said, I’m eager to see more growth from Christopher and how each issue’s POV/narration-sharing is split up once all of the main characters are introduced. This team has earned the right to take their time with this series and I’m completely along for the ride.

Rating: 9/10