The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos #1
- Writer:
- Tate Brombal
- Artist:
- Isaac Goodhart
- Letterer:
- Aditya Bidikar
- Cover Artist:
- Nick Robles
- Publisher:
- Dark Horse Comics
- Price:
- $3.99
- Release Date:
- 2023-06-28
- Colorist:
- Miquel Muerto
Dark Horse Comics presents The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos #1, a sci-fi/supernatural coming-of-age thriller about a teenage mad scientist. Inspired by James Tynion IV, all-star writer of Batman, Something is Killing the Children, and The Department of Truth, the script was written by Tate Brombal, the break-out talent behind House of Slaughter and Behold, Behemoth. The illustration is by Isaac Goodhart, the artist behind Victor & Nora: A Gotham Love Story, with colors by Miquel Muerto, and letters by Aditya Bidikar.
The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos #1 begins with the titular Christopher recounting his history: an orphan, Christopher had always been unusual, beset by a preternatural ability for seeing connections and equations, his brain trying to build a technology beyond his comprehension. All comes to a head when he witnesses his popular crush at school undergo a supernatural transformation, setting off a chain of events that force Christopher to put his chaotic science knowledge to the test and tip the scales of life and death back in his favor.
The writing of The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos #1 is strong. Brombal produces some great dialogue, character beats, and unexpected plot progression. Christopher feels very well-established, managing to be emblematic of the teenage experience despite his oddities. He speaks directly to the queer adolescent experience of wanting desperately to be normal, being unable to speak openly to adults about fears and problems, and bottling up intense feelings. His voice rings very authentically throughout the dialogue, which is witty and well-constructed, although none of the other characters have nearly as much personality as the protagonist. The way that the overarching plot of the first issue is woven together creates a handful of exciting twists and turns. That being said, the first issue feels somewhat unfocused, lacking a clear sense of unity in its themes and not feeling anchored in any particular genre, therefore struggling to subvert or challenge the boundaries of horror, supernatural, or teenage coming-of-age stories in a meaningful way.
Goodhart's art in The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos #1 has a lovable pop art feel to it, making use of bold lines and detailed hatching to create a style that feels unreserved and extroverted while still being chock-full of texture and dimension. The comic features some wonderfully inventive panel design, although the full-page spread is a bit unclear. The character design across the board is cute and well-executed, demonstrating a strong grasp of perspective and anatomy. Christopher cuts a distinctive figure that is instantly recognizable.
The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos #1 makes great use of colors. Muerto utilizes contrast as much as possible to draw the most out of vivid accent colors. Light and shadow are constantly being factored into panels, adding a great deal of atmosphere to different sections of the comic. Bidikar's letters are really strong throughout, making exceptional use of emboldening and italicization to drive emphasis and build realistic speech patterns. The sound effects are also excellent, using novel shapes, sounds, and inventive letter sizing to indicate volume.
The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos #1 comprises an off-the-wall debut that feels a little odd and scattershot in its plot and sensibilities but has a lot of charm and charisma. The rest of the run has plenty of time to fill in the gaps and become thematically tighter. All in all, this is a bombastic first issue that demonstrates tremendous potential for the series going forward, even if the premise feels a little unpolished.