Moonstone Books continues to impress with its diversity and its continued promotion of what I'd have to call original graphic novellas. Here, Moonstone mainstay Joe Gentile offers up an original supernatural, urban horror concept that offers plenty of potential for future stories. It was also a pleasure to see 1980s artist Trevor Von Eeden in action again, and his dark style suits the gritty mysticism of the premise.
A subway train rumbles its way beneath the city, a lone passenger on board who is unable to leave. This unusual subway car makes few stops, and when it does, one's afterlife hangs in the balance. The original mysterious traveler delves into his fellow passenger's life in order to determine if the train heads uptown or downtown. This time, it's James whose life is under the spectral microscope, and a tale of misery -- peppered with violence and brief glints of pleasure -- unfolds.
Von Eeden's artwork seems to clearly draw some inspiration from Joe (E-Man) Staton, but his dark, hazy visuals in this book also have more modern leanings as well. I'm reminded of Eduardo Risso's noir work from 100 Bullets, and of Alex Toth's classic, shadowy lines. The artwork exudes danger and sexuality, and it really captures the sense of the supernatural as well. I'm also pleased to see that as a publisher, Moonstone continues to emphasize the strengths of black-and-white storytelling.
James may be something of a magician. He may have dark deeds in his past. But it's surprisingly easy to relate to him. The funk he finds himself in most of the time, the worthlessness he feels... we've all been in that lonely, unfortunate place. We've all had those dreams of finding the right person, and we've all had trouble approaching someone in whom we see that kind of potential. But as easy as it is to understand James, the reader's sympathy extends instead to the Mysterious Traveler, a gentle, comfortable figure. He brings a nice balance to an otherwise grim and cynical tale (don't get me wrong... I'm all for grim and cynical).
This story is all about misdirection. Though the premise of being judged on an otherworldly train is clear, the source of James's sorrow, happiness and the reasons for his day of judgment aren't entirely clear. The ambiguity is clearly intentional, but Gentile takes it a little too far. Fortunately, he sums the vague story up quite well at the end, and he does so in a way that works within the context of the premise.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
