MANILA, PHILIPPINES — A year ago, Peacemaker was an obscure DC superhero. Today, thanks to his new hit HBO show (starring Jon Cena aka Chris Smith aka Peacemaker) fans want to read more about this violent character. They’ll discover that there’s very little comic book material about him. Fortunately, there is one book, The Multiversity: Pax Americana that stands out. Here’s why:
The Creative Team
Writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely are the dynamic duo behind JLA: Earth 2, New X-Men, Batman & Robin, and WE3. The creative synergy that these two creators share guarantees that readers are in for a comic book experience like no other and Pax Americana is a showcase for what they can do.
The Killer Plot
For there to be peace in the world, Peacemaker assassinates the President of the United States. The premise is very much in line with Peacemaker’s paradoxical outlook – peace at any cost. Readers will get to see Peacemaker in his gory glory.
The Watchmen Inspiration
Watchmen is considered one of the best graphic novels ever. Here’s the back story: when writer Alan Moore first pitched the story to DC, he wanted to use the Charlton Comics characters (Captain Atom, The Question, Blue Beetle, among others) that DC acquired. Unfortunately, DC had other plans for them, so Moore decided to create brand new characters that served as counterparts to those original heroes. In Pax Americana, the Charlton characters are in play and written more like their Watchmen counterparts and the similarities don’t stop there. If you’ve ever wondered what a Watchmen story by Morrison and Quitely would be like, this is the book to read!
The Symbolism/Metaphors: Morrison/Quitely pay tribute to Moore/Gibbons by using the same trademark synchronistic use of dialogue and imagery that was displayed in Watchmen. These storytelling tricks help convey the story’s apocalyptic atmosphere and the moral of the story: violence never leads to lasting peace.
The Intricate Panel Work
Watchmen mainly stuck to a rigid panel structure per page, Quitely does the same but he also uses it to highlight characters’ expressions and to create a sense of motion that’s more vivid.
The Story That Can Be Read In Any Order
Backwards. Forwards. Start in the middle. Morrison/Quitely encourages you to solve the story’s mystery by reading the book in different ways. Making it ideal for multiple reads.
