The first two issues of Deniz Camp, Stipan Morian, and Aditya Bidikar’s 20th Century Men are overflowing with fascinating characters, mesmerizing action, and confounding ideas. They’ve shown readers a wild world where super soldiers and politicians wage wars that upend the lives of people across the globe. After bouncing back and forth between numerous perspectives, 20th Century Men #3 zeroes in on Krylov, the journalist, in another thoughtful, breathtaking installment of the series.
20th Century Men #3 follows Krylov as he continues to try to interview the soviet supersoldier Platonov. The armor-clad killing machine is as elusive as ever, but Krylov speaks with other soldiers about secret government projects, the horrors of war, and the nature of truth. The soldiers are protective of Krylov, but the unforgiving landscape and the constant threat of violence wear on his nerves as he begins to understand just how brutal and confounding war can be.
By centering this issue around Krylov, Camp allows the audience to encounter the close-knit military dynamic from an outsider’s perspective. As Krylov discovers the surprising charm of life embedded with Platonov’s men, he’s also forced to endure tragedy after tragedy. Throughout the issue, Camp pairs moments of beauty and compassion with scenes of brutality and pain. A woman shares food with a stranger, only to sign her own death warrant; explorers manage to grow fruit in a barren world just before disappearing; and a man finds some much-needed camaraderie, only to be reminded of the danger that surrounds him on all sides. This dissonance creates a captivating tension that propels the issue forward and creates a haunting mood that will stay with the audience long after they’ve finished reading.
Morian finds a perfect balance between the beauty of the desert landscape and the nightmarish nature of Krylov’s experience. His evocative artwork makes each page feel like a celebration and a warning. Morian employs numerous different page layouts to match the rhythm of Camp’s writing and underscore the tone of each scene. He effortlessly transitions from a rigid grid to a page where each panel is shaped like the circular lens of the telescope Krylov is using to watch the action. These different design techniques add to the immersive nature of the story and make each page stand out as a work of art.
In a few key moments in 20th Century Men #3, Morian seems to be drawing Kyrlov’s literal experience alongside an expressive representation of his emotional experience. As the two sets of images mirror one another, the reader can’t help but plunge into the depths of irreality alongside the character. Bidikar’s lettering helps to tie all of Morian’s sprawling, ambitious pages together, guiding the audience from scene to scene and idea to idea. This series is dense with ideas and language, but Bidikar makes each page feel accessible and inviting without obscuring Morian’s artwork.
This third issue features a smaller cast of characters than the previous two, but it contains just as many powerful moments. Camp, Morian, and Bidikar are making a comic unlike anything else on the stands. Each new issue is full of surprises and emotionally resonant moments. 20th Century Men #3 ends with an explosive moment that will leave readers on the edge of their seats as the series continues to exceed expectations.
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