Conformity is key, at least that’s the way it’s looking in Hill Valley after the great “fixing” job Marty and Doc did back in 1931. In issue 3 of IDW’s Back to the Future: Citizen Brown, we finally meet the man behind the title.
Marty’s returned home with a busted DeLorean and a wall around his town. As he tries to figure out exactly what has happened to the timeline, he realizes that there are new rules and a new figurehead, Citizen Brown. Bob Gale and Erik Burnham are back with artist Alan Robinson to bring to life the frenzied story of time travel at its best-or worst. Is it good?
Back to the Future: Citizen Brown #3 (IDW Publishing)
We’re picking back up right at the end of issue #2–no real recap of what we learned previously, so get ready the rest of the series, though Marty’s inner thoughts help us get back on track as he assesses the situation at hand. Hill Valley seems to have turned into a Utopian society since the change from 1931. The dialogue showcases a slightly brainwashed, follow the leader mentality that showcases the dramatic change in town.
The writing is easy to follow and fun to read–it’s written as high energy and a bit hyperactive. Robinson illustrates the characters and backgrounds as very cleanly and clinically; same color, same outfits, and with Burnham’s writing, same mindset. As with the previous issues, I am loving the details in the art. Facial emotions are exaggerated and really represent each panel. The backgrounds are intricate and entertaining in themselves.
Personally, I’m not a fan of the overlapping panels. It doesn’t take away from the great work but it’s distracting at times. The lack of background from the other issues may have some people lost but it’s still a good read on its own–I would suggest reading the rest anyway, because it’s good!
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