James Tynion IV and Michael Avon Oeming reunite for a new entry in their non-fiction UFO anthology series in Red Book. Nine students die tragically under mysterious circumstances known as the Dyatlov Pass Incident in Russia. Meng Zhaoguo, a logger with the Red Flag Logging Commune, witnesses a glowing white object crash into the Phoenix Mountain near the Russian border. Four children in the Russian city of Voronezh witness a red egg-shaped UFO descend and a group of seemingly extraterrestrial beings disembark. Flights are immediately diverted into and out of Xiaoshan Airport in China as passengers and crew aboard multiple planes report flashes of otherworldly light from four unidentified objects. How are all the cover-ups by the Chinese and Russian governments over UFO sightings related?
Both James Tynion IV and Michael Avon Oeming have built a lot of good will amongst comic fans over the years. Tynion is the writer of hits Something is Killing the Children and The Department of Truth in addition to making waves at DC with Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles being particularly popular. Oeming meanwhile has won acclaim for his work on Powers with Brian Michael Bendis which won the pair an Eisner award. Meanwhile, as a creative team – Tynoin and Oeming have been creating some of the most entertaining anthology comics in recent memory with their Blue Book series transforming real life accounts of UFO encounters into entertaining comic stories.
Whilst the three volumes of Blue Book focused on UFO sightings throughout the US, Red Book focuses on the communist countries of Russia and China – with particular attention being given to the Cold War period of history. With the subject matter at hand, it would be easy to be go down a sensationalist route – especially given the comics medium – but Tynion shows a great level of restraint by keeping a level of ambiguity about the events described. This – believe it or not – adds to the surreal nature of the series – with aliens and supernatural forces examined as a possible reason for these events and not a definitive explanation whilst being framed against the historical context of the time.
Oeming meanwhile continues to shine in the art department. He has always excelled when it comes to use of negative space and he brings a lot to the table when it comes to atmosphere. Like the previous series, the colouring is two tone – with red this time taking the place of the blue that dominated the previous series, which given the period being examined feels oddly appropriate.
This is a fascinating anthology that has a lot to offer when it comes to creativity with both creators continuing to shine. Anyone who appreciates history in their comics should also give this one a look.
Red Book Volume 1 is out now from Dark Horse (9781506746814, p/b, £22.99)
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