Primordial #2
Laika finds friends as Pembrook is brought before someone with answers in Primordial #2, by writer Jeff Lemire, artist Andrea Sorrentino, colorist Dave Stewart, and letterer Steve Wands. After a stellar debut, this one is a bit slower, but it's still quite enjoyable.
The story begins with Laika in space, remembering his time being prepared for the mission and the woman who cared for him at the time. Feeling all alone, Laika eventually discovers that he isn't. Meanwhile, in West Berlin, Pembrook meets his contacts and is taken to East Berlin, where he meets Yelena Nostrovic, Laika's caretaker, who needs his help.
The thing about this issue is that it's very, very visual, and Sorrentino nails it. The beginning sequence with Laika's flashback shows why Sorrentino is such an amazing artist. The page layouts are breathtaking, mixing past and present in interesting ways, breaking everything up into cubes. The whole thing is so aesthetically pleasing from the beginning. Stewart is also a key to this sequence, as he changes up his coloring style, using a grainier effect on the flashbacks and a cleaner, more conventional palette at other moments. It works so well.
Later, in Berlin, the art again goes to the grainier side of things, but it works for the environment. Again, Sorrentino's pencils give the whole thing the perfect effect. The detail is good, but for these sequences more than before, Stewart is the secret weapon of the art team. The colors are all greys and blues, giving the scenes a desolate feel. When Pembrook gets to the apartment, the colors get a bit warmer, almost as if the human connection between Pembrook and Yelena have made things better for both of them. Coloring can be just as important as pencils for creating atmosphere, and this issue perfectly illustrates that. Sorrentino and Stewart work together wonderfully in this chapter.
Lemire's script lets the art team fly. It captures the emotion of the opening scenes with Laika and Yelena. There's a bit of a Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely We3 vibe to this issue initially, and it works. Later in the installment, the sequence with Pembrook being taken to East Berlin captures the confusion and anxiety of these moments. Lemire sets up the pins, and the art team knocks them down.
Primordial #2 is visual storytelling at its finest. Lemire takes a step back and lets Sorrentino and Stewart tell the story, and the effect is breathtaking. The book's plot is still inscrutable, but that's okay because this issue is a work of art.
