Randy and Don are jumpin' into the General Lee and givin' ol' Roscoe P. Coltrane the slip in Hazzard County. That's right... they've Gone South.
Don:
The publisher that brought is the off-the-wall Mac Afro offer up a story of two savvy, big-city women trying to blend in a small southern town. It's a solid effort across the board -- plot, dialogue, art -- and the creators wisely play their cards close to the vest, enhancing the entertainment value of the story.
Randy:
Writer Mike Wellman definitely has a gift for unusual and imaginative concepts. Gone South is a big departure from Mac Afro, and though neither Don nor I want to give away the surprise of the first issue, suffice to say that this one has an unusual twist to the concept as well.
Gone South #1
written by Mike Wellman
pencilled by Marc Sandroni
inked by Larry Welch & Christi Fischer
lettered by Johnny Lowe
published by Atomic Basement Entertainment
Don:
Two femme fatales have left New York City behind, and they've travelled to the American South, looking to leave behind bad memories and to hide a secret. Sylvia wants to lay low and steer clear of contact with the locals in a small community, but Victoria is feeling much friskier and friendly. She hooks up with Clyde, a seemingly harmless, portly guy, complete with the customary pickup truck and dog in the back. Clyde promises Victoria a good time, but he brings her to see some of his friends, who plan to have a good time of their own... whether Clyde's new gal pal likes it or not.
Wellman has a Thelma & Louise riff on the go here that works quite well. The two main characters play off of one another quite well. It's clear they share common bonds, but Sylvia's no-nonsense attitude makes for an interesting contrast with Victoria's more carefree spirit. I'm also impressed with how the storytellers bring a maturity to the book without drowning it in cursing or gratuitous sex scenes, even though the plot could easily justify it.
Randy: Wellman definitely steers the book away from Vertigo territory. However, while you laud this choice, I wonder if he might not have taken it a little darker, as there's certainly enough innuendo and mature subject matter (as well as this being a black and white book) that it's unlikely to appeal to a younger audience anyway. You're right about the interaction between the two characters, though. Their weird relationship, which at some times plays like sisters and at some times like mother and daughter, is central to making the book work, and Wellman does a good job of making it believable and interesting.
Don:
The book's greatest strength is how it lulls the reader into a false sense of... well, not security... I guess it's a false sense of insecurity. There's a dark mood that looms over the story, and the reader is led to believe that this issue is about the danger that Victoria faces at the hands of Clyde's spinelessness and his redneck buddies. There's an interesting twist that arises in the latter moments of the issue that works quite well. It's unexpected, but it's a natural -- though conventional -- story development that's piqued my interest as to future installments.
Randy: I actually saw the twist coming from about the third page, so I wasn't quite as impressed by it as you seemed to be. However, while the book didn't have surprises for me, the premise of the book entertained me anyway. Given Wellman's goofy parody/tribute to '70s blaxploitation and cheesy science-fiction in Mac Afro, I was expecting a gentle skewering of Southern culture in this one, and instead Wellman added a fantasy element that fit in nicely with the small-town southern setting.
Don:
One of the aspects of the book that makes it so unpredictable is the artwork. There's a softer style at play here. Sandroni's linework reminds me of the styles of Pia (Y: The Last Man) Guerra and Richard (Soulsearchers & Company) Howell. That softer look brings a grounded quality to the characters, and I'm surprised how well it works with the darker subject matter. Sandroni also boasts a strong eye for anatomy and perspective. There are inventive viewpoints peppered throughout the book.
Randy: I compared Gone South to Mac Afro in the writing, given that it's the same writer, but that same comparison doesn't apply to the art. While Mac Afro had a sort of exaggerated, J. Scott Campbell-ish, unfinished pencil look to them, Gone South is completely different. I think you've nailed the general approach with your comparison here. It's a realistic, very finished style, and like you, I'm surprised that this fairly straightforward style works so well on the sensual and darker sides of the story. Sandroni's storytelling is definitely impressive, and it is that skill that makes his work really rise to the occasion, I think.
Don: It's not just the art here that's stands out at a strong, professional level. The entire package is a solid one, strong enough to merit a larger audience. If I'd been handed only the interior pages for review, I might have guessed this was an upcoming project from DC/Vertigo as opposed to a small-press publication that's been doing the rounds at conventions. Often, the small press is seen as something of a training ground for new talent, but these creators are ready for the mainstream... and they have something to offer.
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