From Archaia, Charles Soule, Greg Scott, Art Lyon, Matthew Petz, Thomas Mauer, Robert Saywitz

 

If you’ve never been blown away by the work of Charles Soule (27, Strongman) before, prepare yourself for one of the most mind numbing comic experiences that a human being could experience. Soule is known for great, intricate writing; stories down to the smallest detail, where those small details count for big payoffs. Whether it’s the lingo of Strongman, or the being that preys upon performance artists in 27, Soule is known for completeness, ingenuity, and complete concepts that most of us don’t even consider. Strange Attractors takes that to a wholly new level.

Strange Attractors is an exploration of complex systems; a type of mathematical modeling that examines the relationships between parts of a whole, and how those parts interact with the environment. In this book, the theory is modeled after New York City, a city, that as noted in the beginning of the issue, tends to recover faster from disasters and crises than others. Heller Williams, a graduate student of Columbia University has stumbled upon this theory, and deeper even deeper ones. Williams is missing a few pieces of the puzzle, and tracks down Doctor Spencer Brownfield, a former member of Columbia’s faculty, who worked on the same theories 30 years previously. Brownfield agrees to help Williams solve the problem, in exchange for his help with something even more complex.

The reader is treated to accessible examples of the theories that Soule works with in the book, whether it’s one character’s ability to see the connections within the complex system, or a story about the infrastructure of New York City, and food deliveries arriving on time, or the simple act of releasing a rat into a crowded diner. The complexity is simplified so that everyone can understand it, which speaks to Soule’s skills as a writer. It’s not all plot and theories though, the characters are deep as well. Heller is that character that will stop at nothing to explore the theories and ideas that he deems important, even if that means taking the path of most resistance. Brownfield is very much the old man passing the reigns down to Heller, after years and years of hard work.

Strange Attractors is Soule’s crowning achievement, and even more so is Greg Scott’s ability to take that concept and sketch it out so perfectly to fit. You couldn’t ask for a more perfect team to pull this off, and given that this is only the first part of the story, what’s in store can only be mind numbing. This could very well be, the year’s best book.