Slots #5 Review

Slots #5

Creator, Writer, Artist: Dan Panosian
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Associate Editor: Arielle Basich
Editor: Sean Mackiewicz
Publisher: Skybound/Image

Review by Jim Allegro

Slots #5 is a showcase of Dan Panosian’s strengths and weaknesses as a comic creator.  He is very good at packing a lot of story into one comic.  This issue moves quickly through a series of plot devices that deepen the conflict between our aging boxer, Stanley Chance, and his former best friend, Les Royal. The tension drives the arc’s final issue in which Stanley arranges to throw a boxing match as incentive for Les to leave alone the women caught up in their rivalry, Stanley’s friend Betsy, and her daughter Mercy. Along the way, we learn more about Les: why he has a grudge against Stanley; his intentions with regard to Mercy; and his behind-the-scenes attempts to help Stanley’s son, Lucy, who is also Les’s stepson.

Panosian continues to entertain with an absorbing story about people on the fringes who struggle to keep their heads above water.  As an artist, he does a good job of using lines and colors to suggest mood, such as the washed-out greens and lackluster blues and reds that throw into relief the unmerciful backdrop of a brooding Las Vegas.  Clearly, this book is going for the feel of a pulp comic, with screen tone shading techniques evocative of an imagined 1950s America in which square-jawed protagonists throw hard glances at each other while burlesque dancers strike cheesecake poses.

But, at times, the evocative atmosphere outpaces the actual story.  Panosian’s dense narrative can backfire, leading to jumpy transitions.  This issue’s climax, a playful boxing match between Stanley and Les, felt contrived.  And, Lucy’s appearance in the final pages, saving Stanley from a beating by Les’s henchman, added to the confusion.  Lucy’s late appearance in this issue raises another concern about Slots: what is the main conflict?  Sometimes, this comic is a story about long-held rivalries, at other times, it is about expectations between fathers and sons, and, at other times, it is a budding, tangled love story.  Stories can have more than one theme, but Panosian’s hurried pace can keep us from finding a center to hold on to as we follow the ups and downs of this collection of sad and interesting characters.

I think that is why Stanley Chance has emerged as such a fan favorite.  Chance is the pivot upon which this comic turns because he is well-drawn, engaging, and endearing in a broken down and predictable way.  He is a scene-stealer whose quest for redemption allows us to enjoy a comic that has little to do with superheroes, aliens, inter-dimensional travel, zombies, or any of the other fabulous fare that crowd the medium. I look forward to finding out if Lucy’s late appearance, and the information he has for his father, has any effect on Stanley’s decision to throw the fight in the final issue of the arc.

Verdict: But it.

I enjoy this comic and I recommend continuing with the series and picking up Slots #5–that is, if you are willing to put up with a little plot confusion in the name of an enjoyable and dramatic story about the trials of ordinary people.