I've heard a little bit of buzz surrounding the writer of this new Warlock. Word has it that this new talent really has some storytelling chops, and I have to admit, he's managed to breathe new life into a stilted character that's never held my interest. Pak brings the cosmic and fantastic elements of the character's origin down to earth by rebooting and starting over from scratch. Am I engrossed? No, but I am intrigued. It also seems this story is set outside of regular Marvel continuity, and that adds an element of freshness I didn't expect to find. Furthermore, this project marks a significant departure for artist Charlie Adlard, as he injects greater depth and realism into the visual component of the book.
Janie Chin is the most promising and talented graduate of New York's Kirby School of Design, and she's just landed the most incredible dream job. A private outfit has hired her to develop the look for a super-hero in a new big-budget, special effects flick. They're aiming for complete authenticity too, with scientists working around the clock -- and around Chin's design -- to think up ways to make sure the fictional character could be real. There's just one problem: the scientists, Chin's backers, are really interested in fiction.
Adlard's work here reminds me a little of Butch (Ruse) Guice's style. I love how he employs a different texture and cues a computer effect to distinguish between the main action of the story and Janie's artwork -- or to be a bit Shakespearean, I love how he sets apart the art within the art. Adlard brings plausibility to the ambitious Enclave, and the new design for Warlock, as seen on J.H. Williams III's beautiful cover image, conveys a sense of nobility and spirituality.
In this first issue, it's Janie, not the title character, who serves as the protagonist. She's incredibly likeable. She challenges her new bosses almost immediately. She's confident but not arrogant. She's professional but playful. Most of all, she enjoys what she's doing, and for many, it will make her an enviable figure. To discover work one loves is a real blessing, and what's more is that she seems to realize how good she's got it.
One could argue that she comes off as a bit oblivious to what's going on around her, that she should clue in earlier as to the true nature of the Enclave's work. But it works, because it seems clear to me that she's not in the middle of the Marvel Universe. She acts as though super-heroes whizz by in the sky thanks to the efforts of people like Stan Lee and Sam Raimi, not Tony Stark and Charles Xavier. I hope that continued separation from regular Marvel continuity persists, because that new context brings a grounded and realistic tone to the world of a bizarre character.
