Fight Club 2 #1
Dark Horse Comics
Written By: Chuck Palahniuk
Art By: Cameron Stewart
It has been more than a decade since we last saw this “everyman” having a manic meltdown. This comic picks up the story of “Sebastian” some ten years after “Project Mayhem”. For fans of the original novel or the movie, there are a lot of similarities in themes right from page one. The narrator and Marla have gotten married, and have a little kid together, and have seemingly moved on from the psychotic breakdown, the imaginary friend “Tyler” as well as all the Fight Clubs. The narrator may have moved on from “Tyler”, he can deny who he was all he wants, but people with beaten and broken faces still treat him with the utmost respect.
Just as the 1999 film changed the way movies were filmed from a visual perspective, this comic is trying to change how the mind perceives a comic. Interlacing the material items of the comic on top of the panels makes it feel as though this is real and physically happening, with pills and roses being placed on pages, and covering up what the narrator is thinking. Just as the original story can be interpreted in many ways, I can already see several points here that can be used as topical pieces for essays. The art and coloring of this comic lets the story remain the main focus,
while still having panels, and scenes that graphically show that history repeats and “Sebastian” may not totally be in control of his life (Marla hasn’t been helping him with this either).
Knowing the plot, ending and spoilers from the first script, I found myself combing each panel, lettering and illustrations for clues to the endgame or twists that might be ahead. Instead, everything looks like it is straight forward and events are unraveling like you would expect. If you have doubts about this being as good as the original story, you can feel safe in knowing Tyler has been causing mayhem for 50 minutes a day, three days a week for the past ten years. Again, there is a lot to sit and philosophize over from the placebo pills the narrator has been taking, or was Tyler the result of a breakdown stemming from the need to escape? From what I read in issue one, I need to know how Chuck Palahniuk will continue this cult classic.