PARADIGM #1
"Chapter One: An Opium Den Haze"
Mildly Recommended (6/10)
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Two Irish Guys Press
Writer: Matthew Cashel
Pencils: Jeremy Haun
Price: $3.00 US/$4.77 CAN |
I don't usually order an indy book out of Previews blindly. Typically, I have some other reason for picking something up... Internet buzz, a preview copy, familiarity with the creator(s)... something like that. Not in this case. There was just something about the solicitation in the catalog that captured my attention. After reading the first issue, the creators have caught attention anew. Though there are elements of the book that didn't work so well for me, I'm thoroughly impressed with Paradigm's strengths.
Chris is a regular guy living in Bogsdale. He has an on-again/off-again girlfriend, a cat and a comic-book collection. But his world is starting to change. Things don't make as much sense anymore, and he's begun to talk to people who don't exist. Meanwhile, a Bogsdale cop investigates a bizarre case of a domestic dispute that inexplicably escalated into murder.
The art here is photo-realistic, and it captures the dark and strange atmosphere that pervades the entire story. The visuals remind me of Brian Michael Bendis's art from such books as Goldfish and Jinx. The problem is that at times, the realistic film-noir approach is too dark. Key visual details are lost in the inky panels, notably during the rainy crime scene sequence in suburbia.
It's when the story gets surreal that Cashel loses me. We're never really given any hint as to what makes Chris special, or why he's starting to separate from the real world... literally. The weirdness extends beyond Chris's life, though, but since the visuals are kind of muddied up at the crime scene, as mentioned before, it's difficult to get into the odd twists and turns as a result.
I guess another reason the bizarre side of this book didn't click as well for me, though, is that I was really getting into the down-to-earth elements of the book. Chris's life may be mundance in its own way, but his reflective tone and description of his life is compelling and boasts a universal quality. It's easy to relate to him. It's also easy to believe in Detective Andrew Dreiser and his dispassionate attitude.
The people in this book are fascinating. It's the plot that hasn't hooked me yet.
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