GEIGER #11, by Image Comics on 2/12/25, brings Tariq, Nate, and Junkyard Joe to the end of the trail for a cure, but Tariq doesn’t like the answer he finds.
Credits:
- Writer: Geoff Johns
- Artist: Gary Frank
- Colorist: Brad Anderson
- Letterer: Rob Leigh
- Cover Artist: Grary Frank, Brad Anderson (cover A)
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: February 12, 2025
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 36
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of GEIGER #11:
Recap:
When we last left the Glowing Man in Geiger #10, Tariq’s powers flared out of control, crashing their bus on the way to Lewistown. The travelers were approached by Junkyard Joe at precisely the same time. Fearing an attack, Tariq warned Nate to run, and he attacked the robot to prevent capture. Tariq’s excessive power usage eventually led to his downfall, but Junkyard Joe decided to help Tariq and Nate get to Lewistown for medical attention. When the trio reached the gates of Lewistown, they were confronted by Ash Arden.
Plot Analysis:
In Geiger #11, Tariq finds what he’s looking for but not the answers he wants. The issue picks up with the cliffhanger from the previous issue when Nate pleads with the woman standing atop Lewistown’s gates that the Glowing Man needs urgent care. The woman, Ash Arden, grudgingly lets them in when she hears that Tariq suffers from a unique malady.
Inside, Tariq wakes up from a vivid dream about his family, endangered by scavengers just after the start of the war. Nate informs him that he’s receiving an IV drip of medication from the woman who let them in and that he’s looking much better. Ash Arden arrives and explains she’s the person they’ve been looking for, a “Glowing Woman” who was cured, but it’s not that simple.
Ash isn’t free from her radiation powers, but she learned to control them without rods. Tariq isn’t interested in control and moves to leave. Outside, Junkyard Joe stands watch to prevent the town’s residents from interrupting the meeting. Suddenly, he launches forward during a vision of his maker holding a woman hostage. Joe scares the locals and smashes a truck, but it’s the loving kindness of Barney that calms him down.
When Tariq exits the building and heads for the gates, he calls for Barney to abandon Junkyard Joe and follow. When Barney doesn’t immediately obey, Tariq becomes upset, causing his powers to flare out of control again. The issue ends with a new offer from Ash for help and a man from Junkyard Joe’s past hot on his trail.
First Impressions:
Geiger #11 is a good issue, or at least it’s decent enough to fit within the series, but Tariq’s journey hits a point of conflict that may or may not make sense, depending on your point of view. When you have no good options, you take the least worst option. Why doesn’t Tariq see that?
Artwork and Presentation:
Gary Frank’s artwork can’t be beaten, which is exactly what you expect from a Ghost Machine comic. Frank’s eye for granular, detailed inks and pseudo-realistic facial expressions give every scene a grounded realism that looks like it’s adapted from a film. Stunning!
Art Samples:
Story Positives & Negatives:
The Positives:
Geoff Johns finally brings Tariq’s year-long trek to a conclusion by getting him where he needs to go and meeting the person he wants to meet. In true dramatic fashion, the end of the journey isn’t what Tariq expected, and his prize doesn’t live up to his expectations. Some readers may find the end of Tariq’s rainbow unsatisfying, but consistent with the series, it forces Tariq to fight for what he wants.
The Negatives:
Conversely, other readers may find the end of Tariq’s journey thoroughly unsatisfying. Of course, it would be foolish for Tariq to take a pill to eliminate all his problems because that would be the end of the series, but the end of the trail now makes the last year look like a setup simply to start a new trail. Further, it doesn’t make sense to reject Ash out of hand when she holds the key to the only solution available. You could say that Tariq is stubborn, so his rejection of Ash’s first offer makes sense, but there’s a difference between stubborn and foolish. This issue makes Tariq look stubborn to the point of foolishness.
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
If you’re wondering when Tariq and Junkyard Joe will have some big crossover with Redcoat and other Ghost Machine characters, there’s no official information on when and where a crossover will happen. Looking at how each Ghost Machine title is progressing, it seems the Ghost Machine characters will intersect within the pages of Geiger as a matter of course instead of a special crossover event. Time will tell.
Final Thoughts:
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GEIGER #11 brings Tariq to the end of his long journey, but the answer he’s looking for is far from the one he wanted. Geoff Johns delivers a dramatic, weighty issue that looks all the more impressive, thanks to Gary Frank’s cinematic art. That said, Tariq’s stubborn choices come off as foolish, and the end of the journey fails to satisfy because it reads as the setup for another journey.
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