The Oppressor And The Oppressed In Animosity #19
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Jesse and her family have escaped the Walled City with the other survivors, and the question is, as it always has been, what next? The Walled City once again shows the deep and violent divides between human and animal kind. Jesse’s animal friends are talking about the deep and overwhelming physical and psychological changes inflicted upon animal kind by humanity through forced breeding, domestication, and outright control. They seem ready to depart from humankind completely. Meanwhile, the other human survivors of the Walled City seem unwilling to make any concessions to humanity. They want to talk to the leader of Jesse’s crew, and, by that, they mean Jesse herself.
Animosity #19 seems to be building to a climactic schism between Jesse’s animal friends and humanity. Jesse has always sewed for peace whenever able, but her animal friends have come to grips with the degree of violence and control inflicted upon they and their ancestors by humanity.
It’s the theme Animosity has had running through it since the beginning, except now it’s more acute and broad than ever before. It’s the relationship between oppressor and the oppressed, and the comic asks if the damage the former inflicted upon the latter can ever truly be healed.
It’s a very chatty issue, and it drags as a result. Little physical action is taken; we only get the animals talking about their plight while the surviving women introduce themselves to one another. It’s still a compelling read, but it doesn’t really take advantage of the comics format as a visual medium.
That said, Elton Thomasi still provides some good artwork when all isn’t being obscured by the dialogue bubbles. The overall aesthetic suits Animosity well, and the animal characters retain their expressive qualities. Rob Schwager continues to provide solid color work that gives the world additional texture and live.
Animosity #19 is a slow-moving and ponderous comic. It doesn’t have any action or much to offer in the physical sphere of the comic. However its ideas and character interactions are interesting, and the book still has plenty to offer. This one still gets a recommendation. Feel free to pick it up.
Animosity #19 comes to us from writer Marguerite Bennett, artist Elton Thomasi, color artist Rob Schwager, letterer Marshall Dillon, and cover artist Rafael de Latorre with Marcelo Maiolo.
