Infinite Vacation, Invisible Republic

Infinite Vacation 1-5

Regret buying: No.  This five issue miniseries is a total trip.  The concept is brilliant - in this future, people can buy their way into any of their infinite lives across the multiverse.  Wish you didn’t miss the bus this morning? Swap over to the reality where you woke up in time. Want to know what would have happened if you went to Harvard instead of Stanford?  It’s just a click away on the app. Would things have turned out as well as you’d imagined if that girl had just given you a chance? There’s only one way to find out.

(There are tons of unanswered questions.  The lives you swap into are put up for sale by other yous.  What what happens to them? Do they actually swap with you? If they do, how does the money you paid for the transfer get into their hands?  So confused.)

Regardless of the details, it’s a mind-bending idea, and Nick Spencer does a great job of setting up this world.  Unfortunately, the story spirals out of his control, and outstrips Spencer’s ability to tell it. I would have preferred a story about Mark and his pursuit of Claire, without all the end-of-the-multiverse malarky. Sure, it’s a lot more exciting, but it all felt like a lot of noise with no substance.  

And let’s not forget Christian Ward, who literally paints an amazing picture of the insanity.

Would buy again: Yes.  This comic is different from anything else, and it looks great.  I’d pick it up again.

Would read again: Yes.  Despite my issues with the overall plot and the overused “end of the world everything fades to white” ending, it’s definitely worth revisiting.

Rating: Nice.  I’m tempted to bump it up to Pretty Good on the art alone, but the story just isn’t good enough.

Invisible Republic 1-5

Regret buying: No.  This trade was on sale for five bucks, and I had heard positive things about Gabriel Hardman (the writer).  Reason enough to give it a shot. And it didn’t suck.

Would buy again: No.  I’m not engaged. The present timeline follows a reporter as he tracks the background of a fallen head of state.  He finds the journal of an until-now undiscovered relative, and the flashbacks comprise the second timeline. Everything’s mildly interesting, but there’s no one for me to really care about.

Would read again: No.  I first read this five months ago, and my opinion hasn’t changed a whit.

Rating: Fine.  This is an easy cut.