The Many Layers of Pax Americana

Pax Americana by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely is the fourth standalone book under the Multiversity banner and has been a long time in the making. I remember it being announced almost immediately after the completion of Final Crisis in 2009, there was even a page of completed pencil art shown. Now here we are almost six years later and I have the most anticipated comic of my life in my hands.

It did not disappoint.

There are many intricate layers to Pax Americana. Starting with the cover to the book, some very recognizable braiding is going on. The cover of the book is eerily similar to that of Watchmen #1, subbing out the iconic smiley face badge for a burning peace symbol. In the same way as Watchmen #1, Pax Americana’s cover acts as the first panel of the book and opens with a murder. 

Pax Americana deals with the Charlton Comics characters DC Comics bought in the eighties in the same vein that Watchmen did with its Charlton character homage (Rorschach for the Question, Nite Owl for Blue Beetle, etc). This time the Charlton characters are acting as stand-ins for the Watchmen characters, taking on their personalities and flair. Pax Americana can be read without knowing Watchmen, but having that work in your paratext lends to a much deeper experience. This comic builds on the steps that Watchmen laid and, honestly, I might like it better. Morrison and Quitely make full use of their page count, about one twelfth of what Watchmen had, and still manage to get a unique and interesting experience across.

Next I want to turn to my favourite page:

The entirety of Pax Americana contains some of the best rhythmic pacing I’ve ever seen in a comic’s paneling. This page is a perfect demonstration of the tension in the pacing of a comic. The hyperframe is made up of a series of sequences running almost musically in a four beat pace. The time signature never falters but the pacing varies drastically. The long panels on the top tier move slowly and depict a long drawn out motion. The second tier is a tight action sequence that makes the previous word balloons be seen in a new light. The amount of words in each panel here represent how much time is passing between panels. The amount of time it takes to read the balloon is how long it takes for the Question to step into the next space, or throw the next punch. The third tier keeps the same tight, frantic feeling of the previous one but slows down the scene with the addition of more dialogue and the exit of our hero (or villain depending on how one considers the rest of the story, much like Watchmen).

I cannot suggest Pax Americana enough. I’m not sure if it’s just my long-time anticipation combined with my love of Grant Morrison talking but I can easily say it’s my favourite comic I read this year. Every single page does something interesting with the form of comics and this is only a taste of the unconventional, awe-inspiring, and downright weird things that can be found for around five bucks. Please go read it. I can’t think of any theory I read this term that cannot be easily applied to this book.