I honestly didn't know what to expect from this title, and what I discovered within was surprising and novel. The Sopranos meets The Secret Society of Super-Villains in this unusual and well-crafted title. It further adds to the diverse array of titles that Moonstone already offers. Fans of such titles as Powers and 100 Bullets would be well advised to check out The Silencers, as some dynamic artwork, dark premise and strong characterization combine to deliver a sharp, entertaining read.
The Cardinal is a metahuman criminal who leads the Silencers, a team of super-powered mob enforcers, answering to New York City's powerful Provenzano family. They've been charged with a specific task: to uncover the mysterious "Syndicate" that's introduced a powerful and popular new drug called Black Kiss to the street. The Cardinal, though, has a different goal in mind. He's been at this ugly game for decades, and he feels the time has come to leave it all behind and quietly eke out a peaceful living in his old neighborhood.
I've seen Ellis's work from Moonstone before, as well as from Wildstorm Productions, but this is clearly his best effort to date. Ellis has been taking some cues from Mike (Powers) Oeming. The influence stands out and grabs the reader's attention. At the same time, though, Ellis's own angular, exaggerated and kinetic style isn't lost in the process. The designs for the title characters are striking. The Cardinal is as imposing a figure as we're led to believe by the cowering criminal on page five. Despite a fairly large cast, there's never any confusion, even when the story goes int flashback mode. Ellis's work here has me anticipating what he has in store when he tackles a Marvel project, through its Epic line, later this year.
The notion of the mob employing superhumans as enforcers isn't a new one, but there's a more genuine, dark tone to Van Lente's take on the concept here. I love how these characters, unliek traditional comic-book villains, avoid confrontations with colorfully clad heroes. They've got a job to do, and they wouldn't make good criminals if they purposefully sought out conflicts with their do-gooder counterparts.
Above all, though, The Silencers is the Cardinal's story. It's about a man who's come to realize that he needs to make a change in his life. Sure, most of us can't relate to the challenge of trying to go legit, but we can relate to the notion of being in a rut, of needing and/or craving a change in circumstances. The Cardinal's cold-hearted actions aren't what defines him in the reader's eye, but rather it's his efforts to leave that cold-hearted facade behind him and join the rest of us in the realm of the everyday.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
