Elephantmen is a book that continues to challenge many preconceptions about sci-fi in comic books. Richard Starkings has crafted a very compelling world in which a few genetic hybrids of animal and man roam the earth. Starkings has crafted a world much like our own but with a slight futurist dystopian twist. That's what makes a book like Elephantmen so compelling. Not only has Starkings created a frighteningly compelling future but he's populated it with very strong characters who all happen to be half-man/half-animal genetic hybrids.
This issue is a slower issue where we deal with the fallout between the previous two issues. Both Ivory and Ebony are recovering from their adventures at the local transgenic hospital. Miki, the cabbie who helped Ebony in the previous issue drops by for a visit. She and Ivory end up talking about the nature of the Elephantmen and what they really represent for humanity.
It doesn't sound like much but it's a poignant tale of the future. Starkings and Moritat are able to craft a tale that allows us take a look in the mirror and evaluate who we are as people. That's what all exemplary speculative fiction does and this comic is an excellent example.
I can't say enough about Moritat's art. He is a truly wonderful draftsman. He brings a terrific European sensibility to this story and that makes this comic even more delightful.
Anyone who isn't reading Elephantmen is missing out. It's a fairly accessible read and it always proves entertaining. Give it a try it's the one of the best ways to spend $2.99 at the comic book store.
