Redcoat is a series published by Image Comics under the Ghost Machine imprint. The series is written and created by Geoff Johns, who also founded Ghost Machine, with art and inks by Bryan Hitch as well as Andrew Currie.. Redcoat takes place within the Unnamed Universe alongside the series Geiger and Junkyard Joe. Got it? Good!
Our Modern American Folktale (Redcoat #1-14 Recap)
The series follows the adventures of Simon Pure, a British soldier during the American Revolution who, while slacking off, interrupts a bizarre ritual involving Ben Franklin and gains immortality. It's a pretty original setup, admittedly, although it took me quite a few issues to start enjoying the series.
The first arc is mostly driven by Simon teaming up with Albert Einstein and fellow immortal Benedict Arnold (Yep, this book can be pretty out there) to save America from The Grand Architect, who aims to destroy and rebuild the country while also setting his sights on Simon. I found the arc a bit of a mess for the most part, with the pacing early on being slow and the story of early issues not being very interesting; however, I thought the climax to it was very enjoyable and paid off very well.
The second arc was much more interesting and better-paced for me, with Simon teaming up with the mysterious Northerner who has the ability to time travel and seems to come from a universe where the Confederacy won the Civil War. The character first appeared in Junkyard Joe, and despite us not knowing a whole lot about him or his origin yet, I can easily see him getting his own series in the future as he oozes cool.
The two face the mysterious "Cobbler" who also seemingly has the ability to travel in time and is trying to supply the Confederacy with weapons from the future so they can win the war, seemingly for his own ends. As stated, I enjoyed this arc way more than the first, and I thought the premise and story were way more consistent.
One really big positive I will give Redcoat is that a lot of it reads like an American folk tale, featuring many cameos from both folklore and history. As someone not of American descent, the cameos and references tend to fly over my head a bit and don't really have the same impact the creators probably intend. Despite this, I think the series still does a good job of not excluding anybody and ensures that you get a good enough understanding of the characters to come along for the ride anyway.
A Review of Redcoat #15
Now that my introduction and catch-up of the series is done, let's actually review issue 15 like you clicked on this article to read, aye?
So, issue 15 picks up in the year 1909, quite a few years since we last saw Simon Pure, or Simon Plum, the new name he's given himself. We find that he's seemingly given up the rogue adventuring lifestyle in favor of being a tailor, and, if that wasn't enough, he's even got a family too. This is definitely a far departure from the character we were introduced to at the start of the series and have followed this far. What could have changed? Well, don't worry, I don't think the series is about to suddenly change into a cozy Americana slice-of-life story, as we see that Simon is visited by an old friend from the past warning of a great evil that's reemerged and looking for revenge bringing us full circle. I'm being a little vague about some of the details, as I feel some of the impact of this issue is carried by reveals.
First things first, plot and structure-wise, this issue was a breeze to read. It probably took me 10 minutes to get through and soak in the plot and art, which is a relatively short read for me when reading modern comic books. I would say the average for most modern comic books is 15-20 minutes for me if I really want to absorb everything the comic book is trying to convey. I don't think the short read time is a detriment to this book; in fact, I think it shows the talent of a great writer who can convey so much without the need to cram every panel to the brim with text bubbles. I think Johns gives the perfect balance of intrigue to keep readers wondering how we ended up here and giving a relaxing prologue to a brand new arc.
Whilst I think this is a fantastic issue for people who've followed the series so far, I also want to stress that anybody who wants to jump on board with issue 15 may end up having a pretty bad time, as all the reveals and emotional weight come from us following Simon's story to this point. I think if I picked up issue 15 with no prior context, I'd be pretty bored and confused.
A Word On The Art…
Now, onto the art and panel layout of this book. First things first, some of the background work is phenomenal in this issue, and I spent a little chunk of time marveling at the city that greets us on a two-page layout early in the book. The attention to detail on these two pages alone is fantastic, and I cannot imagine how long it took. I also think the way emotion is conveyed through the art is really solid and impactful. The way Simon interacts with his family and old friends feels very genuine and believable. The panel layouts also feel right for the pacing, with large panels taking up most, if not all, of a page for the right moments necessary and feeling appropriate.
Final Verdict
I think Redcoat issue 15 is probably tied as the best issue in the series so far, tied with the exceptional issue 7. Although a relatively relaxed and breezy issue, feeling more like a resting point to catch our breath and revel in the mundane for a short while, it also manages to deliver heavy emotional weight and payoff to readers who have followed the story so far, while also hinting at the future and not revealing too much of its deck.
However, with all that being said, I don’t think this issue works well at all as a jumping-on point for the series, and new readers are probably better off catching up on back issues or trade paperbacks to fully understand and appreciate the issue.
My final rating for this issue is a solid 9 out of 10.