The Ludocrats # 4 The Desolation of the Ludocrats
Image Comics
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Writer: Jim Rossignol
Art: Jeff Stokely
Colors: Tamra Bonvillain
Letters: Clayton Cowles
The portmanteau of the title of Image Comics’ “The Ludocrats,” made me chuckle even before opening the comic to read it. That those in the highest echelons of society, “aristocrats”, acting totally ignorant and oblivious, “ludicrous”, is observable on a daily basis. But instead of social commentary, we get a surreal conversation. It is simply amazing to witness a comic that transforms the way you see or interpret things. The art style and story continue the grandiose tale as Otto and his fellow adventurers move closer to a conclusion.
Faced with the prospect of being devoured by Shoggod, his “Other-Dimensional Son”, Otto is proud. The enjoyment in reading this comic comes mostly from Otto’s inability to realize the gravity of any situation. Otto is a leader removed from reality. That is the way his world operates and he seeks to stop the destruction of his orderly chaos. Word play, toying with logic and double entendres are present on every page, although as Gratty states, they got rid of the pun. When a comic uses the term exposition, both physically and literally, you begin to understand where the writers heads were at when creating it.
The art of Jeff Stokely and Tamra Bonvillain compliment this crazy comic. They do a wonderful job with Otto. Everything about him is larger than life, even his actions. The artists never miss a moment to capture the range of this character. Witnessing his dismay about not being able to destroy the moon is disheartening and relieving to read. Witnessing a shift in drawing usually is a reason to question an artist’s technique. As Otto and his crew shift from 2-dimensional to 1-dimensional to satisfy a plot point, was pulled off wonderfully.
The Ludocrats # 4 is the type of comic that could first make you wonder, what were the creators thinking? What were they trying to accomplish? The reality Otto’s story encompasses showcases the answer. Anything’s possible, even a Penultimate Pen.