I have to hand it to Alias Enterprises. Launching their line with a series of four inexpensive debuts is a wise move. It's bound to have caught the attention of anyone who looks beyond the premier publishers' section of Diamond's Previews catalog. Getting my attention is one thing; holding onto it is another. This particular low-cost (but high production value) effort is rather low on plot and characterization. Sure, the action is overwhelming and the pace is hectic, but there doesn't seem to be much of a story here yet. There are hints of it, but the script seems designed to keep the reader in the dark. Maybe Kinney's aiming for a sense of mystery, but the result is just chaotic and disconnected.
Billy Andrews is the hottest thing in Hollywood -- when it comes to stunt work. He and his team of specialists make the most complicated and dangerous sequences come to life on the big screen, and their most recent job is on Die for Me Again. Still, stuntmen don't get the glory in Hollywood, and while he's worshipped by those within the industry, the press and viewers don't know him from a hole in the wall. Weird things are happening in Billy's life lately. On set a few months back, someone messes with the headsets he and his team use to communicate and co-ordinate their stunts. And today, someone's stolen his car in order to bair him into a trap.
The art on this book is crisp, clean and professional in appearance. With a seasoned pro such as Mike Manley on inks, I would expect no less. However, the art, like the script, is all about flash and not about substance. The action doesn't flow smoothly at all. It's difficult to discern what the characters are doing throughout the opening stunt scene, for example. The character designs are rather generic. Everyone is either a paragon of muscle-bound male perfection or a buxom seductress. There are no real people in the cast.
That lack of variety in the cast extends to the characterization as well. There aren't any real personalities that stand out here. There's not a strong sense of who these people are. It seems as though most of the characters are just meant to seem incredibly cool and that's about it. Kinney gives us no hint as to why Billy Andrews is so good at his job, or why he does it.
Not only do I not know who this title is about yet, I don't know what it's about. The premise isn't at all clear yet; hell, the premise is nowhere to be seen, as far as I can tell. Furthermore, the plotting strikes me as odd. Someone tampers with the stunt crew's equipment on set, and there's no followup. No one looks into it, no one asks questions beyond the initial reaction. What was the point of the tampering scene? the writer skips ahead four months and makes no mention of it again. 3/10
