I really didn't know what to expect from this book, and as I thumbed through the opening pages, it seemed like just a quirky super-hero story set in a Victorian backdrop. It had charm, but aside from the setting, didn't really stand out. But the deeper one gets into this one-shot, the darker and more twisted it becomes. Though a little on the predictable side at times, overall, the creators offer up a story of class structure and hypocrisy, and the ugly figures that populate it. Batman meets From Hell in this dark, hauntingly beautiful book.
The upper-class hero known as the Parliament of Justice watches over his city, assisted by his sidekick and aide, Gypsum. The Parliament relishes the adventure of taking down the sinister but colorful villains that make up his ever-shrinking rogues gallery, but soon, he finds himself in over his head. A killer is stalking prostitutes and slicing them up in their homes in the most gruesome, savage fashion. Despite the consistency of clues left at each crime scene, the Parliament of Justice believes the culprit must be someone without refinement, someone from the lower classes.
This is the second recent release to feature the artwork of Neil Vokes. The first -- released a couple of weeks ago -- was Gene-Fusion A.D. 2310. It boasts bright, colorful art, with wide-eyed characters and a lightness rife with innocence. Here, while his style still clearly shines through, there's a heavier, gothic look at play. The black-and-white artwork suits the dark tone of the story and setting. The character designs are weighed down in heavy cloaks and armor. I'm reminded of Mike (Hellboy) Mignola's inky convergence of simple shapes. Easily the most impressive aspect of Vokes's work here, though, are the backgrounds of this unusual Victorian city. The detail is awe-inspiring.
The first few scenes of this book struck me as being a little awkward, as though Oeming really didn't have much new with say with this super-hero property. I soon realized, though, that he was just establishing the scene and in a way, lulling the reader into a false sense of security with a more conventional approach to begin with. By the end of the book, one is blown away by the intensity and darkness of the plot.
The most interesting aspect of the script is the title character's social bigotry. Initially, he is presented as the gallant hero, but the more we get to know him, the less heroic and sympathetic a character he becomes. The Parliament relishes his role and his station, not his deeds. He looks upon those with less than him with scorn and even hatred, though he fools himself into believing he is a philanthropist. The Parliament's hypocrisy is what defines him, and the realization of it leads to his downfall.
