AMERICAN CENTURY #14
"An American in Paris, Part 1 of 3"
Neutral (4/10)
|
DC Comics/Vertigo imprint
Writers: Howard Chaykin & David Tischman
Pencils: Luke Ross
Inks: John Stokes
Colors: Pam Rambo & Digital Chameleon
Letters: Digital Chameleon
Editor: Shelly Bond
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
It's been a while since I checked in with Harry Kraft and his globetrotting adventures, and this issue -- the beginning of a new story arc -- seemed like a good opportunity to get reacquainted. I was disappointed to discover that at least for this installment, the book seems to have lost its edge. Instead of a politically charged story, we get the beginnings of what looks like a con-artist plot, conveyed via some surprisingly bright and conventional comic art.
Harry Kraft ends up in Paris after his life turned to crap yet again, and soon, he finds himself face to face with an old colleague from his World War II piloting days: Buddy O'Brien. O'Brien is in some kind of trouble, and with Harry's luck, he gets sucked right into it. Elsewhere in the City of Lights, a counterfeiter carries on with a dominatrix, desperate for an even greater punishment than she usually offers, while a lowly baker dreams of escaping his menial life.
Luke Ross is a capable comic artist, but his style -- which here reminds me of the work of Dick Giordano -- is obviously geared toward super-heroes. It doesn't suit the mature tone of both this title and the Vertigo line as a whole. Pamela Rambo's work, which impressed on Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's Preacher, doesn't work on the same level for me on this book. The colors are flat and lack texture. Mind you, there is visual strength to be in this comic book, and it's the cover. Glen Orbik's pulp painting captures the maturity and magic of the setting.
I was reminded of the theme of this book as I wrote the synopsis above. this is all about people trying to escape their own lives. The counterfeiter wants to escape life itself, while the baker wants to escape his heritage. O'Brien is running from his mistakes. With so many examples, the theme is hardly a subtle one.
I think it's that theme of escape that's keeping me from connecting with these characters. There's no one to cheer for in American Century. Everyone is running from something, and ultimately, everyone seems to be running from responsibility. Mind you, this is just the first chapter in the story arc; things could shift quickly. But at the moment, I find I'm not connecting with any of these characters.
Email Don MacPherson comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.
|
