The action of manipulation is the title of Commanders in Crisis’ fourth chapter, a comic published by Image Comics written by Steve Orlando, with drawings by Davide Tinto and colors by Francesca Carotenuto. In previous episodes it was discovered that an individual has deprived the world of empathy, while in the background the multiverse has contracted an infection; in this issue, through fast-paced dialogic and narrative sequences, the authors focus on the weight of reputation, on the need to feel like someone in a reality in which some people count for something and others remain invisible.
Beyond the surface of superheroic tones, it is interesting to reflect on the fanaticism and manipulation that it operates, exploiting the individuals’ weaknesses in search of attention and purpose. From an aesthetic point of view, while the cast is enriched with new villains, the character design is striking: Tinto and Carotenuto rework the classic updating it to the present day. If in the superhero Prizefighter there is a lot of Hyperion (Marvel Comics) costume, as far as the villains are concerned, we note the influence of science fiction movies and video games and samurai/ninja styles, with a sprinkle of Leviathan by Brian Micheal Bendis and Alex Maleev. During the battle, the characters move dynamically and dramatically, supported by a grid that includes some large panels alternating with smaller ones, both vertical and horizontal.
English translation by David Padovani
We talk about:
Commanders in Crisis #4
Steve Orlando, Davide Tinto, Francesca Carotenuto
Image Comics, january 2021
32 pages, comic book format, colors – 3,99 $
