I would be remiss not to first talk
about Christian Ward’s incredible artwork in this book.  I had never
seen Ward’s work before this issue, and boy did his unique layouts and
watercolor style come as a pleasant surprise.  At first, I thought
Ward’s characters were too untidy and less polished than I’m used to
seeing, but the expressions on Mark’s (Mr. Infinite Vacation himself)
face, from horror to disappointment to discontent, are spot on.  And
some of these layouts I was just blown away with.  The colors in this
book already give it such a vibrant and unique look, but the way Ward
can take up two pages to convey a message is just phenomenal, in
particular, when Mark first realizes and thinks about how much “he” has
been dying lately, where we see various Marks and their dead portraits
spiraling into a dark void circle.

Nick
Spencer’s high concept is definitely interesting and more pertinent
than I could have ever thought.  Just recently I was reminiscing and
regretting some of the decisions I had made in high school, and to go
and read this comic made the entire premise very relatable.  Spencer’s
introduction to the world and infinite vacation system avoided being
heavy-handed, but wasn’t lacking either.  My favorite sequence in the
issue was when it seemed to take a commercial break, where a real
salesman described the basics of the system, reminding me exactly of those infomercials we adore.  We’re also given a good sense of Mark’s character: flawed, dissatisfied, and obsessed buying a better life.

My
main problem with the issue is it failed to show me its direction or
really hook me into the next issue.  Sure, I’m interested in a world
where “literally anything is possible”, but I don’t have a firm
grasp on where this story will lead.  The last page didn’t excite me or
have me jump out of my seat like it perhaps intended to, but at least it
opened the door for questions dying to be answered.  However, I was
especially intrigued when Mark’s encounter with a “deadender” taught him
a lesson in the evident flaws of something like the infinite vacation. 
The sequence reminded me a bit of WALL-E, where certain
advancements in technology prove to take humanity’s well-being in the
other direction.  Laziness, never learning, lacking confidence; all of
these characteristics can result in the abuse of infinite vacationing,
never having to deal with mistakes or regrets, and I’m interested in
seeing more of that exploration in Mark’s character.