So there I am, swimming along, breathing through my gills when this thing -- a metal thing, kinda looks like a scoop, but not quite three-diemsnional -- shows up in front of me. I must have been a great fish in a previous life, because there's no one, but two worms danglin' on it, wriggling' away. And the worms have names: Phil Hester and John McCrea. You crazy? 'Course I'm gonna bite. ... I was going to continue to the angling analogy, but besides something about catch-and-release, I really couldn't think of where to go with it next. I do know I'll be looking for the second issue of this series, which marks yet another strong debut from Image. I just hope the follow-through is stornger than it has been for select other new titles.
When something weird happens, something impossible and seemingly supernatural or extraterrestrial, the U.S. government gives Antoine Sharpe a call. Sharpe has no expertise in the occult, no scientific background in xenobiology. Sharpe just has a unique perspective, a special way of reading people that allows him to get to the truth, to debunk any over-the-top theory. When thousands of children across America drop what they're doing and head northward, it's up to him to investigate.
McCrea's black-and-white artwork for this book is much tighter than what we usually see from the artist. His style shines through, though, and his darker leanings certainly suit the subject matter and atmosphere that the script fosters. It seems to me that Hester must have provided some inking work here, because the art reflects his influence pretty clearly on several occasions. The backup story -- a short story reprinted from a publication called Taboo -- is apparently a sample of Hester's early work. It boasts a surreal Sam Kieth vibe. Clarity is elusive, but the piece is more about a feeling than plot. The visuals are appropriately creepy and dark.
If the credits hadn't shown that Phil Hester had written this story of mass reincarnation, murder and covert government intervention, I would have assumed it was a Warren Ellis book. Hester taps into the same slick, smart sort of tone that we've seen from Ellis on such books as Ocean, Global Frequency and Red. We've got the uber-tough, super-smart, mysterious badass hero, and there's even an impossibly sexy female spy expert in the mix. It sounds as though I'm saying the story is formulaic, but it certainly doesn't come off that way. The premise is creepy and fascinating, and it's introduced in a novel way that misdirects the reader as to the true nature of the plot.
The backup story is puzzling. The plot is totally hidden, out of the reader's grasp, so it's a little frustrating on that level. But the imagery and horrific ideas that are crammed together here are quite effective at evoking an emotional reaction. It's a story about cruelty, about about violence and perhaps about how tradition can be a horror. "Circumcision" may not be an easy read, but it's an interesting experiment and a challenge for the audience. 9/10
