Time-travelling lesbian social justice warriors. That's what this comic is, in as much of a nutshell as I can make it.
'The Infinite Loop' is one of the most polarizing graphic novels I've ever read. It is massively political and is not subtle about it in the slightest - like nearly every page contains a political statement. And yet, I don't mind. In fact, I think it works to its advantage. A story like this is certainly needed during such difficult times.
Teddy is a time-hopping agent, whose job is to eliminate anomalies in different time periods so the timelines are left undisturbed. But she isn't allowed to alter the past or future, leaving the status quo of the "Infinite Loop" flowing, no matter the horrors and how much humanity keeps fucking up over and over again. Teddy and others like her claim that love is what causes the worst periods in human history, and so she wants nothing to do with romance in her already strange life.
Until she meets Ano, a beautiful human-shaped anomaly/time paradox whom she was sent to erase from existence.
Ano becomes Teddy's reason for being, and her reason to fight back against the Infinite Loop. For everyone, including other anomalies.
And, well, things get really, really weird storywise. Everything else like human love is natural, of course, but the time-travel elements are more multi-layered, paradoxical and "confusing" than 'Inception'. While its message about equality is as in-your-face as ever, in other areas the book requires you to pay attention carefully.
Upon finishing 'The Infinite loop', I slowly realised that, in spite of a few setbacks, I enjoyed the hell out of it. This is what a graphic novel should be like. This is what science fiction should be all about. It contains an important message, is grand and plotted intricately - a feat for a time-travel story - and it's awesomely entertaining. There is nonbinary and genderqueer representation. It contains the female lead fighting a dinosaur! What more could you want?
The characters are dynamic and well-rounded. Teddy develops from a fun yet reserved young woman to an even more fun and passionate and angry political activist with a time watch. Her change does come a little too quickly early on, but she has enough believable doubts and self-esteem issues (she constantly asks herself if she's making the right decision, if she can win her fight, alone or with help) along the way that it isn't so bad. Teddy's competitiveness may prove to be her biggest failing; emotionally she's a ticking time bomb, and she is smart enough to know it, to control it for the greater good.
Ano, the mysterious Asian, anime-ish time anomaly, is Teddy's love at first sight, who the writer and artist mostly rely on to be cute and sexy over an actual personality. The more I think about it, the more I see Ano as a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, so her and her romance with Teddy are the weaker parts of the comic. But she does show backbone in helping Teddy to get up and do something for fellow, suffering anomalies. Ano wants to fight injustice as well, and she knows she can't be Teddy's dream and escape forever. So she's not just for eye-candy, and was never really for the male gaze - her sex scenes with Teddy are handled maturely, realistically; making up for how their romance could have used a little more development.
Ulysses, the male sidekick, is Teddy's office Intel partner for when she's on time missions to maintain the Infinite Loop. He starts out nice enough, and is in love with Teddy; he makes a move even though at the beginning she specifically states she wants to remain celibate, and why. But on finding out her illegal relationship with Ano, he reveals just what a scary Nice Guy with male-entitlement issues he is. The comic knows this, and Ulysses knows this, and is ashamed of himself for it, comparing himself to 21st century internet trolls ("neanderthals" as he calls them). He works to better himself, resisting the temptation of a promotion from his higher-up peers who are the embodiment of toxic masculinity. Eventually Ulysses, like a real friend, becomes an ally to Teddy's and Ano's cause. It's such rare development in a male character arc, and it is badass.
Like I said, 'The Infinite Loop' is passionate about its political message. There is research done on all kinds of people who exist: on social justice terms, on ground-breaking historical moments of gender and racial equality, and on tragedies caused by bigotry. These themes are very clearly implemented in order to give weight to the message.
The colourful artwork, similar to the bright animated works of Bruce Timm, flows brilliantly with everything going on. It's easy on the eyes and easy to follow.
But one thing that did bother me about 'The Infinite Loop' is this: with all its talk about activism, believing in change, standing up to injustices everywhere and in all aspects of humanity, allies, white supremacy, toxic masculinity, male-entitlement, that love/compassion isn't weakness, and how wrong it is to dehumanize/marginalize people who are different or "unnatural", and is perfectly aware of how racism works as well...
Whose bright idea was it to make the main antagonist a Black woman?
Tina is Teddy's and Ulysses' boss, who may or may not have invented time-travelling, it's not explained. I mean, maybe her villainy is to show how in the far future we have taken things for granted to the point where even the formerly marginalized can lose sight of what's important, and forget history even as they're a part of it. That power can corrupt absolutely anyone. Tina isn't in the comic much, and her introduction to the reader is of her getting tortured by the white heroine, I'm not joking. For someone who wants to commit genocide in the book's final act, the big boss is rather two-dimensional. Her goons are bigoted, muscly white men; shouldn't a man like them be the main power-hungry villain in a story like this? Especially one who, like Tina, at one point claims to be a friend to the underlings who've been conditioned since childhood to blindly follow orders.
I'd say Tina and Ano are the weakest links in this epic story that otherwise shows so much understanding about equality and how racism and sexism continue on. All part of human nature? Subtext added to go with its theme of history repeating itself no matter what anyone does? What anyone sacrifices? I'm not sure, it's confusing enough, and I welcome anyone who wants to explain these things better to me. Listening and understanding are key, after all.
'The Infinite Loop' - holy crap. With all its flaws, I'd still recommend it to everyone in a heartbeat. Science fiction put to good use, it's a fun and important read: a social justice warrior and decent human being's holy grail. I still don't understand how anyone can be against equality to begin with - it never did anybody any harm, unlike hate, ignorance, fear and greed - and to those who are against it, 'The Infinite Loop' is your no-nonsense, unapologetic teacher.
Nothing's perfect, but then, humanity never was, and probably never will be. The Infinite Loop is strong and forever resisting change.
But we can hope. Every time, hope never dies.
Final Score: 3.5/5
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