Rasl #7

by Jeff Smith

This series keeps improving with every issue. This time around, the focus is on explanations, as the motivations for Rasl's stealing of his equipment are explored, along with some more Tesla history, including the cause of the Tunguska Incident, which has been mined in other comics as well (I remember first hearing about it in a Warren Ellis Ultimate mini-series for Marvel).

Two things stood out in this issue for me. The first was the changing relationship between Rasl and his partner in science, Miles. It had previously been established that the two were childhood friends, so it was more poignant to see them drift apart due to scientific ambition.

The other thing that really stood out was Smith's art. This book is by far the best work he's ever done. When he drew Bone, I assumed that his main characters were so simple because they'd be easier to draw. Now, in a title populated only by humans (even if one of them is pretty lizard-y), Smith is showing that he is quite masterful at portraying a range of expressions. Where before I found Rasl kind of strange-looking, he now seems more realistic than most comics characters for his visual idiosyncrasies.