The Catalyst – Comic Review
This was one that grabbed me right from the concept. Guy is a Catalyst, a synthetic being who journeys through different universes to give unknowing ‘characters’ the push they need to take the first, or next, step in their own tale. But Guy always gets hurt. It doesn’t matter how innocuous the reality seems to be, and that makes him question his role.
Written by Nick Bryan (The Little Deaths of Watson Tower) and illustrated by Robert Ahmad (The Devil In Disguise), with colours by David Cooper and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, The Catalyst is a genre hopping, existential-question-asking ride.
Genre hopping
As Bryan’s story takes us from detective noir to robo-utopia via futuristic sci-fi and dragon besieged towns Ahmad’s art effortlessly captures the necessary style for each ‘universe’.
One of my absolute favourite things about this story were the ‘universe’ numbers. Each one perfectly appropriate for the theme of that world. From 0310 for the Wild West world, to 0616 for the Golden Age Superhero type universe, these little touches were the perfect easter eggs for readers. If you don’t get the significance of those numbers I think it’s safe to say there are some gaps in your pop culture education.
Getting Serious
Things take a deep dive into serious territory in the second half of the comic. Guy rebels against orders to see what happens if he doesn’t interfere in the story he is sent to. This leads him on a journey of self realisation with us along for the ride.
Think… Westworld but with a smidgen less violence and definitely fewer squidgy bits. It will definitely make you think, but won’t leave you puzzled.
Wanted: Brave Warriors
This short bonus story looking at day-to-day life in a fantasy world Guy passes through, where courage might be the worst possible trait for completing a quest.
Swords and Sorcery. Evil spells and cunning wizards. A great fortune awaits. Only the…. really cowardly need apply. I actually really enjoyed this short strip as it allowed us to see what Guy always wanted – a full story.
The Catalyst is available either to read online via the Comichaus app, or to purchase on their website.
