The Good
How great was Fight Club? I'll admit, it sits as one of my all time favorite movies. It was one of those movies that simply caught you off guard. After watching the movie, I read the novel and was surprised at how quickly I devoured it. It had a great ending and I never even imagined I could want or need a sequel. When the news of a comic book sequel came out, I was surprised and a little skeptical. That skepticism last about two seconds when the news of the sequel contained the fact that it'd be written by Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk with Cameron Stewart doing the art.
Without giving too much away, the story picks ups ten years after the first. Our main character is now going by the name of Sebastian and has settled down to a "normal" life. He has a wife and a kid plus is taking medication to keep certain things calm. But with the tagline of "Tyler Durden lives!" how long can things stay calm.
As mentioned, I was skeptical about this project. Even in knowing the original author was at the helm, I was still nervous as to how it would turn out. It happens that everything just feels so right here. The characters may look a little different from the movie but you owe it to yourself to check out the novel as well instead of just relying on the film version.
Palahniuk takes the characters to the next logical level. What they've been up to in this ten year gap makes perfect sense. Throughout the issue, you'll start to get little feelings of uneasiness. That's exactly as it should be. Sebastian may have settled down but can he truly escape his destiny.
Stewart's art establishes a whole new feel that you'll immediately accept as how things are. The way he mixes up the visuals and panel layouts adds to the overall feeling. Just as I was midway through the comic, I suddenly realized just how much I did want this story to continue. The feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach kept growing as the pages went by the smile on my face kept getting bigger as well.
Palahniuk's decision to bring this story to the comic medium is a fascinating one. It does allow for some parts of the story to be told in a different way. With Stewart's art providing the visuals, this is going to incredible.
The Bad
If you haven't seen the film or read the book, you can still figure out what's happening, for the most part. The reading enjoyment will be diminished. It's not the most upbeat story and is not meant to be. It should be clear whether or not this comic is for you.
The Verdict
The fact that we have a comic book sequel to Fight Club feels incredibly surreal. Before it was announced, I had no desire to see one happen and thought it wouldn't work or be necessary. With Chuck Palahniuk continuing the story of the characters he created along with Cameron Stewart's art, you'll soon realize just how badly you do want to see this sequel happen. Seeing where the story picks up after all these years and with the visual freedom Stewart takes full advantage of, we get an amazing piece of work. You do not want to miss out on this. If you've never seen the movie or read the book (shame on you), do so immediately. You still have some time before the first issue is on sale.
FIGHT CLUB #1 is on sale from Dark Horse on May 27. Let your comic shop know TODAY (order code: MAR150014). Final Order Cut-off is TODAY. You'll kick yourself if it's sold out when you get to your shop on the 27th.