Why is it that nearly all of my recent favorite books are limited series? I fall in love with these characters, their lives and their battles and then POOF they’re gone. I absolutely adore Faerber’s latest; Gemini. An excellent concept, Gemini is a hero that doesn’t know he has a secret identity and his secret identity doesn’t know that he has a second life as a hero. He is activated and deactivated by an organization called the Constellation. Not exactly standard comic fare, this character has managed to become one of the best on my current pull-sheet.

In the second issue, Gemini and his handlers deal with the effect of his head getting blown at the end of the first. Some sweet tricks are revealed, so I’ll stop right there. Readers will get a heavy dose of action and a great twist on the final two pages.

What I find really strange and compelling about this book is that it doesn’t have the standard family drama of Faerber’s other current work (Noble Causes and Dynamo 5). This book is about a dude with a seriously screwed up life. No father or mother issues, no crazy backstabbing and soap opera feel, it’s just a cool book. The only sense of dramatics that could develop comes from Gemini’s handlers at the Constellation headquarters. But even the interactions of those characters seems more like comic relief and plot-drivers all rolled up into one neat little package.

The good thing about this book is that it doesn’t act too huge. What I mean by that is that this book seems to know that it’s only got five issues to work with before time runs out. The arc is on pace with that fifth issue conclusion deadline, and I’m confident in Faerber’s ability to keep the action high. So if you’re worried about reading this book because of its limited scope, don’t be. The title moves perfectly well under its constraints and I hope it somehow makes its way to an ongoing status. That would, of course, mean a crazy load of work for Faerber, but I can certainly dream.

Jon Sommariva’s art is incredible for this work. The toony look works so well with the lighthearted effect the story brings to the table. And when it comes time to show off some costumed folk, Sommariva did well enough to fix my gaze for more than 20 seconds on several given panels. That’s big for me. I love comic book art, but anything that can actually make me forget to read the speech bubbles really has me hooked.

Gemini is only a five issue mini. I can’t come up with a single reason why you shouldn’t be getting this book. It’s fast, light and entertaining as all hell. It will certainly provide perfect relief for those summer-time-universe-wide-event blues. Just pick up the first and second issue and you’re caught up. Easy, right? I really recommend Gemini for anyone that’s a fan of comics. Go. Now. Get. Read. Seriously.

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