The spurned fanboy turned destructive mad scientist is back with The Testament of Doktor Zeitpunkt Part II and I was pretty pleased with how the ending unfurled. While it was completely unexpected on my part, the story ended on a note that I'm comfortable with. There was no abrupt ending, but I can see where it might be left open for a one-shot if Candiloro felt the urge to write more; continue the story a little. Actually, the end was the beginning that was really the end. Makes no sense? Time travel can do that to a storyline!
Most comics today aren't black and white, and when I say that, I don't mean the artwork. The Testament of Doktor Zeitpunkt is special because it has genuine feeling behind the panels. Not only is it a fantastic story with monochromatically magnificent artwork, but it was very obvious that Candiloro spent a lot of hard work on this making it into an original tale that has creativity sewn in right down to the lettering. That creativity is what separates this book from many of the comics out there and makes it a delightful read.
There's some definite character development on Zeitpunkt's end. We see how he started in the first half as a bright eyed, fresh scientist giving his plans to the city council and how bitter he turned after having his plans stolen by his hero. Now, in the second half of this scintillating tale, I was expecting something completely different. I was expecting fire, brimstone and destructive Hell on Earth, but was pleasantly surprised to see the author pull a plot twist out of nowhere and take Zeitpunkt down a completely different path. Hindsight is 20/20 and I'm sorry to say that I didn't even see the connection between Zeitpunkt and Tknuptiez that's so glaringly obvious on the pages of Part II. I'm trying my best not to spoil any plot points, so if I'm being vague, bear with me. Just believe me when I tell you it's worth reading.
The artwork in the second half is consistent with the first. While it's done in black and white, it would look just as good in color. Hooray for versatile art! The artwork was what originally drew me to read this comic. It's basically all done with straight edges, very few curves are necessary at all. It almost looks like it could be drawn purely with a straight line tool in a program as simple as Paint. Of course there's more detail than simply that; there's shading and the angles would surely be a pain to get perfect. It's something that screams, "I'm different! Look!" and it was successful in piquing my interest. Even the font lettering is out of the norm. The Testament of Doktor Zeitpunkt wouldn't be the same with a different style of artwork.
After I finished reading this book, and this counts for both the first part as well as the second, I was happy that I did. I have a firm belief that independent comics are the backbone of the comic industry. It's where all the great ideas spawn and Candiloro came up with a gem when he thought up The Testament of Doktor Zeitpunkt. This isn't the type of story for someone who's looking for another Superman remake, but if you're looking for honest originality, this is definitely a comic you'd want to check out. Mad scientists, time travel, robotic animals… this story has everything needed for an enrapturing tale that's perfect for an evening curled up on the couch.
Felicity Gustafson was born in Ohio and, after the astounding realization that there was more to do than look at trees and cows, she decided to become a nerd and got into comics, anime and video games. At Comics Bulletin, she sticks mostly to reviewing things out of the horror and comedy genres. She spends most of her time working in the manufacturing industry, finishing her computer degree and steadfastly avoiding ham fat at all costs.