I love Greg Rucka's Queen & Country work. I recently read A Gentleman's Game, the Q&C novel, and Rucka didn't disappoint there either. But this foray into the world of real-world danger, politics and violence is unlike previous Queen & Country stories in that Rucka is not at the helm. Writer Antony Johnston is frolicking about in Rucka's playground, but the only clear signal are the credits on the cover and inside front cover. Johnston brings the same sort of genuine tone to an extreme side of the world most of us never see, just as Rucka has done in the past. Christopher Mitten's angular style captures the intensity of the action and personalities nicely as well.
Years ago, IRA terrorists decide to make a statement by taking a prominent police sergeant and his young daughter hostage, and though an S.A.S. team is sent in to rescue them, it doesn't end well. The girl grows up alone, and the terrorist team leader ends up in a cell for two decades. It's now 2003, and the girl has grown up to become a rising political star who advocates disarmament and the withdrawal of troops in order to achieve peace in northern Ireland. And the jailed IRA terrorist... his hatred has just grown. In the middle of it all is a young soldier named Poole.
Mitten's style is an interesting mix of simple and exaggerated linework with sharp, textured detail. It's certainly not a realistic approach, which is what makes his effectiveness here so surprising. His character designs are simple but clear; there's no confusing one player in this drama for another. Though the background detail is absent in many panels, the artist still manages to convey a strong sense of place. While the figures may not be photorealistic, the backdrops are quite convincing. Mitten also offers up some nice perspective work.
Lauren Mullen is a fascinating character. She has every reason to hate, every reason to be bitter, but her idea of rebellion is to find paths toward peace in theories and ideas that point to the contrary. She's molded a horrible tragedy into a hopeful outcome, channelled the meotion and energy from her past in a positive direction. Johnston has crafted an incredibly strong character here, and I can't wait to see more of her in subsequent issues.
While the Queen & Country ongoing series focuses on Tara Chace, each Declassified shines the spotlight on the past of one of the other minders with whom Tara works, and this time, it's Poole turn. Except that it's not really. The real star of the story is northern Ireland itself and the violence that plagues and divides it. Johnston captures a genuine tone in the dialogue that makes it clear he's not dumbing the script down, but at the same time, it's not difficult to follow the story despite the incorporation of slang specific to the setting. If that weren't enough, he includes a glossary of terms that goes far beyond the provision of simple definitions. 9/10
