Comic Book Review – The Last Fall #3

After a long wait, we finally have issue #3 of The Last Fall, and we’re more than halfway through the series. It’s good to have it back. Some spoilers are going to follow in my discussion, so read on with discretion.Most of this issue is spent on Fall’s recovery, moving back and forth between his old life and his life now. Cole and the priest-major move on relatively quickly from Fall’s death, and Cole immediately tries to assert his authority over the remaining troops. Fall’s memories of his family are painful here, but he’s able to achieve some kind of honesty about his regrets by the end of the issue. Meanwhile, the doctor who’s sheltering him is trying to help him gain some perspective on life and death amid war.I hadn’t picked up on Cole and Fall’s friendship in years past, largely because all of that has fallen away in the present (shooting a person is generally regarded as an unfriendly act). Was it just command that changed Cole’s opinion of Fall, or was it rivalry? Fall is clearly the superior soldier, and one whom the men look to more than Cole. Cole’s failure to inspire the rest of them may feed into his resentment of Fall, who has a certain air of authority.

On a negative note, the art style in this issue had some unintentionally comedic moments. Lieutenant Cole and the priest-major’s facial expressions when talking about Marcus’ death are accidentally hilarious because of how wide-open their mouths are. The lieutenant in particular appears to be readying for a bite out of an enormous invisible sandwich. The art for The Last Fall has had hit-or-miss moments throughout its run, with the best art generally being reserved for fall himself. When it shifts away from him, it sometimes falls into being too cartoony.

Now that the bad news is out of the way, here’s the good news. The comic continues to be an intelligent exploration of war, particularly around questions of duty and sacrifice. Marcus’ service is implicitly contrasted with his own father’s service. Whereas his father fought an easier war for a higher cause and lived to see his family name carry on, Marcus is fighting a war of dubious worth and lives with the knowledge that he’s the last of his family. The fact that Marcus gets to achieve some kind of catharsis in this issue is significant, even if it only consists of acknowledging the bleakness of his existence. In effect, it asks the question, “Why do we fight?” Whatever answer there is will speak volumes.

Where does this comic go from here? If Fall had any lingering allegiance to the cause before, it must be gone after his old friend shot him and left him for dead. Fall is also a witness to a war crime, which will probably pose some uncomfortable questions for his commanding officers. What will he do with that information? It’s hard to imagine a peaceful resolution to all of the problems in this comic, but there might be some peacemaking that Fall can carry out. We’ll see.