When it comes to comics dealing with human rights activism, there isn’t much to choose from. At least from what I can tell, but Infinite Loop has been a fantastic science fiction telling of what it means to be yourself in the face of a society who disagrees with your life choices. The first two issues effectively used a science fiction setup to tell a story about love and identity, but how does issue #3 shake out? Is it good?
Infinite Loop #3 (IDW Publishing)
We’re halfway through a six part series, but this is still a decent jumping on point for new readers. The story is all about Teddy who is a time travel anomaly cleanup crew of sorts. We actually get a decent explanation of what her job entails this issue, but essentially it’s her job to fix the time stream when people go to the past and future. She was recently sent on a mission to destroy an anomaly who also happens to be a beautiful woman named Ano and the rest is history. Teddy could not destroy her, the first of a human formed anomaly, and to make things even more complicated she falls in love with her. They flee and this issue opens on Teddy’s happy place where no one can find them unstuck from time.
Things get sexual.
The first half of this issue is written very well as we watch Teddy fall deeper in love, have sex for the first time and generally live in a type of heaven. Ano isn’t wise to the world just yet, but she’s quickly learning from books and experience. This issue takes place over five months as they live in Teddy’s magical safe place. At one point writer Pierrick Colinet calls out what he’s doing, namely showing us the closet Teddy has hidden away, and it’s not at all an analogy that needs explaining. Much like the series as a whole, the science fiction elements serve as a means to express the trials people go through being gay in a society that abhors them and the functions created to cope. It’s in these elements the story truly shines and feels more mature, important and is ultimately more interesting because of it.
All good things must come to an end though and Colinet zooms to progress the plot after 24 pages of bliss. When Teddy’s friend and ex partner Ulysses crashes the party the issue speeds up so quickly a lot of what happens doesn’t feel earned. Instead it all feels like Colinet needed to get the characters to another place to serve the next issue. There’s no time for Teddy to react to an awful act, which cheapens the loss a bit. That said, having the plot switch so dramatically does help spice up the story and makes the read impossible to be boring.
Science explained.
The art by Elsa Charretier continues to be excellent with some full page splashes that are simply gorgeous in this issue. The sex scene in this issue is handled very well too, never feeling exploitive and instead is genuine and even a bit touching. This is a big moment for Teddy and Charretier balances the desire of the characters well with the important element of letting go. Once again the cartoony style almost seems to help soften the seriousness of the subject matter, which in turn makes the content much easier to digest and relate to.
Very pretty art.
Is It Good?
Infinite Loop continues to be the most important comic work of the year with an exceptional cast of characters and an even more interesting story.
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