Polarity had such a promising start. Writer Max Bemis presented a true rarity in comics with the series' first issue: a hero dealing with mental illness in a way that didn't diminish him as a person. Sadly, the second issue dropped the ball as the protagonist, Tim, showed himself to be as insufferable as the people over which he claimed moral superiority. The third installment doesn't quite replicate the greatness of the first issue, but it does show marked improvements over the second. Polarity hasn't quite shaped up to be the book we were expecting, but it's still a fun ride.
Bemis' unreliable narrator, Tim, continues to experience delusions of grandeur, which might be attributed to his bipolar disorder, but might also be a sign of a less than stellar personality. Unlike in the first issue, the lines between manic-Tim and medicated-Tim aren't as clearly or cleverly define. Tim's internal monologue is consistent in tone, which makes it inconsistent in terms of the narrative. Tim's mind is supposed to be a battlefield, but all we really see is a troubled young man who swans around believing he's different from the gentrified, drugged up douches he's so invested in hating. He's not. This lack of self-awareness could be explained away as part of Tim's psyche, but that might be giving the story more credit than it deserves.
Jorge Coelho's art is still good, but again, it doesn't quite achieve the levels of creativity and uniqueness that drove the series' first issue. The sense of spiraling madness is gone, replaced with a more straightforward aesthetic. Felipe Sobreiro's colors, however, are still wonderfully inventive. Sepia-toned flashbacks are offset by an almost grimy cityscape that nicely echoes the feel of modern day Brooklyn. Overall, Polarity might not have lived up the promise of the first issue, but the book's story and visuals are still interesting enough to keep us tuning in for more.
Melissa Grey is a lover of all things cats, comics, and outer space. She can be found on MyIGN at MelissaGrey or lurking on Twitter @meligrey.
Source : ign[dot]com
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