Everybody loves an underdog and when it comes to people who’ve been thrown away there ain’t much better of a redemption story. Image Comics is putting out the 3rd issue in this series this week, but is it good?
Throwaways #3 (Image Comics)
So what’s it about? The Image summary reads:
As Abby’s life hangs on by a thread, Dean confronts his own personal nightmare: his murderous father. Hidden in one of Alice’s many safe houses, Brad Logan forces Dean to access his psychokinetic abilities—or die trying. And Alice offers the injured Abby a chance to recover her memories of Camp Cheshire… if she’s willing to become a killer once again, for Alice’s agenda. Neither Dean nor Abby has a way out, and when Ostrander and ULTRA draw closer to finding them, the noose can only tighten…
Why does this book matter?
Caitlin Kittredge has quickly become my favorite new writer thanks to both this series and her fantastic work on Lucas Stand. I recently spoke to her about this book and her thoughts and motivations to create this series have made me all the more excited to read it.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
A very nice first page.
Some stories are best with bookends as they bring the whole story full-circle like a good stand up comedian. This issue is no different. It opens with a character thinking about their childhood – and the complexity of it most kids shouldn’t experience – which helps strengthen a scene later on between he and his father. The end of this issue is stronger because of this opening scene, and frankly might have felt underwhelming by itself — and that’s a testament to the writing. Overall this issue is a good table setting issue, but it delivers key character moments that help get inside their turmoil and make them more relatable.
While the characters are still rather loosely connected it’s interesting to see how they all trust one another. Maybe that’s part of being a ‘throwaway’ and while not a lot is done to bring their dynamics together, there’s just enough to tether it all. This is in part due to a growing threat that is introduced this issue, which is necessary considering what happened to a major one last issue.
The art by Steven Sanders continues to feel very open and expensive, maybe due to the sometimes barren backgrounds. It has an effect at making the characters feel lost and alone though, which suits the book’s namesake. One of the characters hard up from a wound inflicted last issue starts to see things, and Sanders does a good job making it feel weird and unnerving. Whenever powers are used the book looks great – like a fantastic full page spread of a boy and objects floating around him – and yet they aren’t overused; because of this, and Sanders ability to make the powers seem extraordinary but not flashy, helps make the superpowers feel more realistic.
It can’t be perfect can it?
This issue is slow overall – again table setting – and while I think it introduces a father character well, it still seems forcibly inserted into the narrative. While I’d love to learn more about the characters, or what the deal is with the girlfriend.
So she’s not a people person then.
Is It Good?
Throwaways is very good at making superpowers look and feel real in a fresh way. This issue sets things up more than anything, but it progresses well and gets inside the characters’ heads effectively.
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