Marcus Sullivan (Dan Berkey) is a washed-up comic book writer who seems to have lost his way after he walked away from his career and his passion. With a few reporters hot on his tail, however, determined to uncover the truth about his past and the divorce from his content, Marcus is forced to relive a series of painful events that have shaped him into the man that he is today. Back With the Back Issues explores the process of creating a comic book and the mental health of those that pour their heart and soul into the things that they love.
Comic book culture is becoming more and more mainstream and far more acceptable around the world. Years ago, however, comic books were considered to be part of nerd culture–nothing more, nothing less. Even as acceptance grows stronger, there is still a pocket of the world that associates comic books with simplicity rather than nuance and depth–Back With the Back Issues attempts to destroy this stigma altogether. While the film as a whole aims to do this, it seems that Berkey is the person tasked with bringing these sentiments to life, and he most certainly does. He’s passionate, powerful, and maybe even a tad insane in his performance–and the sentiment that he’s trying to express shines through in each and every one of his words throughout the course of Back With the Back Issues. The film ultimately provides a new perspective on comic books as a result.
While Back With the Back Issues is primarily driven by dialogue, something else exists throughout the film that does just as splendid a job as that powerful dialogue–and that’s the special effects and animation. The special effects and animations are brilliant–ultimately being the catalyst for the film’s success. I think that any fan of comic books that sits down to watch Back With the Back Issues will want to see something similar to what they might see in the books themselves–the animations that drive these beloved stories forward. The artwork created by Jackson Schleicher and the animation developed by Handrawnmaster help to pull viewers into a comic book and allow them to see the beauty that exists within the pages.
The score is captivating, and it creates an ambiance akin to that which you’d find in film noir. The score, created by Indie Francis, is both aggressive and reserved, combining the best of both worlds in this regard and managing to find ways to express the passion that Marcus possesses, but also the beauty that exists in comic books. The score is perfectly paired with the rest of Back With the Back Issues, and it supplements every moment effectively, in a way that extends viewers’ understanding and bolsters the narrative.
The film begins without Marcus, with a couple of individuals conducting research–and the opening montage is incredibly artsy. I appreciate the artistic ventures of Writer-Director Grayson Richmond, and they certainly fit in the moments in which they are used–but the dialogue and the actions of the characters on screen seem pointless in these opening seconds. I understand that they are attempting to provide a bit of context as Back With the Back Issues begins–but the combination of art and their ventures at the start of the film don’t mesh well.
Back With the Back Issues is an artistic venture into a fictitious version of our modern comic book world–and it aims to normalize comic books and “nerd culture” (as it has come to be known) even more so than it already is. The passion of Berkey, the brilliantly nuanced animation, and captivating score work together to bring the beauty of comic books, their fanbase, and their impeccable reach to light. Back With the Back Issues is brilliant, engrossing me from beginning to end.
Written & Directed by Grayson Richmond.
Starring Dan Berkey, Tristen Lanning, Enrica Jossi, & Kris Ingersoll.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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