Robertson’s teen trilogy ends with a bang

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This article was published 22/06/2019 (2659 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

“I’m not alive just to run away,” affirms Cole Harper in Ghosts, the concluding installment of Winnipeg author David A. Robertson’s exciting Reckoner trilogy. Due to events at the end of Monsters, the previous book in the series, Harper’s comeback kid status is yet another secret, but he’s now a man with a plan (a Cole with a goal?) as he returns once more to his hometown of Wounded Sky.

Amid a tightly coiled narrative full of now-familiar places and faces, Cole becomes the eponymous Reckoner, a superhero whose friends are counting on him to save his community from the flu epidemic ravaging them since Strangers, the trilogy’s first book.

Though Cole has indeed stopped running away, he first returns as a walker, lurking on the edge of town until shape-shifting meddler/mentor Choch pops up to explain a few things. Not quite hungry for brains, but not quite back to his old self either, Cole is affectionately dubbed J.J., “a cool name!,” by the spirit guide, clad as a mall cop, no less (and likely chuckling at his shout-out to Indigenous leader J.J. Harper, who also shares some circumstances with our hero).

As Cole slowly (and comically) reveals himself to the few people he can trust, Robertson reintroduces the reader to allies from both the spirit and physical realm, including longtime friends Brady and Eva, as well as half-immolated child-ghost Jayne, whose excitement burns brighter the more Cole’s resolve to save his community grows.

Though Cole is no longer afraid to fight for Wounded Sky, he is still plagued by the same memories and monsters, having to face down his demons in new and heart-wrenching ways while also grappling with his ever-present anxiety.

To balance these emotionally fraught moments, and with all the groundwork meticulously laid in the previous two Reckoner novels, Robertson also lets his characters have some fun, lending his gift for dialogue to some wry, self-aware conversations between Brady and Cole about the latter’s new identity as the Reckoner. Part of the delight of this series is seeing how Robertson, a critically acclaimed writer of graphic novel text, plays with existing superhero tropes, and this volume does not disappoint.

After countless instances of changing into Brady’s clothes (albeit, not inside of phone booths) it turns out that Cole has actually been a super-powered teen in disguise as a civilian for some time. Without skipping a beat, Brady throws together a “non-stereotypical Indigenous superhero” costume for his friend, complete with a skull-emblazoned neck-warmer reminiscent of Marvel’s Ghost Rider — fitting given Cole’s connection to fire, the scars on his hands a constant reminder of the tragedy that first drove him away from Wounded Sky and then led him right back home.

In between having his characters crack wise about the Reckoner’s potential to use dream catcher ninja stars and talking sticks, Robertson seamlessly weaves actual Indigenous cultural elements and folklore into the story; the northern lights as the spirits of loved ones is a recurring element, as is the ever-menacing Upayokwitigo (once the Blackwood Forest monster, now something else entirely, and still posing a horrific threat to the town residents).

Brady’s grandmother, Elder Mariah, and her traditional medicines are also even more vital than Dr. Captain’s medical training in helping Cole regain his own healing powers.

Coupled with a surprise superhero team-up with definite spinoff potential, as well as unexpected help from a seemingly untrustworthy party, Cole finally reckons that saving Wounded Sky “had never been just his deal. It had never been just his mission.” The main reason that the gang pulls through is that by realizing they aren’t the only ones affected, they’re bound together by their culture and their hometown.

Though the singularity of superpowers adds flair and excitement for readers, Robertson’s spirited trilogy is ultimately rooted in a sense of community nurtured by compassion, hard work and a little bit of mischief.

Winnipeg’s Nyala Ali writes about race and gender in contemporary narratives.