“The last love story ever told.”
That’s the tag-line for Trillium, the most recent Vertigo Comics foray into creator-owned comic books. A statement such as that must be science fiction, right? Well, of course it is. But the best science fiction is rooted in the human spirit. It’s affixed to drama and emotions in which we can all relate.
And Trillium, under the pen and pencil and brush of acclaimed writer/artist Jeff Lemire, promises a story that will measure up to the best that the science fiction genre offers.
Trillium #1
Written and Illustrated by: Jeff Lemire
Published by: Vertigo Comics
Vertigo Comics finds itself amidst a renaissance these days.
Somewhat languishing since its halcyon heights during the 1990’s and early 2000’s when it regularly released award-winning titles such as Sandman, Hellblazer, Swamp Thing, Doom Patrol, Shade the Changing Man, Lucifer and Fables, the mature and sophisticated publishing imprint of DC Comics has recently regained a raison d’etra. “Defy” is Vertigo’s new (old) mantra and with an exciting bevy of fresh comic book titles by both new and mainstay creators finding their way to store shelves in the coming months, the company looks to live up to that very word. Already last week, this column highlighted the amazing first issue of the theoretical physics-inspired, Collider. Pick it up if you haven’t yet – it’s excellent.
Jeff Lemire is not new to Vertigo Comics. For over three years, he wrote and drew the fan-favourite Sweet Tooth series for the imprint, a sci-fi saga about animal-human hybrid creatures struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. At its heart, Sweet Tooth was a very human tale. Trillium expands on those science fiction roots and details an unusual love story that exists in two very different time periods: the future, found in the year 3797 and the past, found in post World War I-era 1921.
Maybe Trillium is the last love story ever told. It’s expected that its two main characters, future-based scientist, Nika Temsmith, and past-centred explorer, William Pike, brought together by mind-bendingly strange means, will herald the end of the universe. Despite the extreme differences of distance and time, their meeting is more than a “meet cute” moment. Nope. This is, literally, a big bang. Science fiction, indeed, but still, a very human affair. This is something at which Lemire excels: high concept storytelling with meaning. He’s described Trillium as his most ambitious and most challenging creator-owned project to date.
Pushing the boundaries of sequential storytelling, the first issue of Trillium’s 8-issue mini series kicks off with 28-pages formatted as a flip-book with two distinct covers and two separate, but obviously connected, stories. This is, obviously a labour of love for Lemire and each page of story and art drips with that passion.
Make the run to your local comic book shop today and pick up Trillium #1. It promises a wild ride through time, space and, most importantly, love.
Every Wednesday, JP makes the after-work run to his local downtown comic book shop. Comics arrive on Wednesdays you see and JP, fearful that the latest issue will sell out, rushes out to purchase his copy. This regular, weekly column will highlight a particularly interesting release, written in short order, of course, because JP has to get his – before someone else does!
One Reply to “Trillium #1 Hits With A Big Bang On The Wednesday Run–August 7, 2013”