THE VICTORIAN #s 14 & 15
"A Question of Questions" & "Common Bonds"
Mildly Recommended (5/10)
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Penny-Farthing Press
Writer: Len Wein
Pencils: Claude St. Aubin
Inks: Mostafa Moussa
Colors: Chris Chuckry
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Michele Harman
Price: $2.95 US/$4.60 CAN each |
The Victorian's greatest strength is that it's a complex and unconventional suoer-hero drama, full of mystery and misdirection. The problem is that that very nature is also its greatest liaibility. Despite the inclusion of a "Previously in The Victorian" section, the script is quite inaccessible, and some awkward page layouts don't help matters either. On the other hand, one can't help but be impressed with the inventiveness of the story and the sharp design of the title character.
Professor Winston Fitzrandolph is investigating an incident from his childhood, during which a mysterious cloaked figure in a Victorian top hat rescued him and his parents from a vicious mugging. After years of searching, he finally gets some answers, but they prove to be more complex than he ever imagined. Meanwhile, millionaire Claude Ballare has managed to steal a navy submarine, and has coerced a young hacker to extract something vital from its metal carcass.
 St. Aubin's artwork is surprisingly bright, given that the overall tone of the story is darker. The characters' actions and some of the players themselves are shrouded in mystery, so I'm surprised that more scenes aren't enveloped in shadow. I like the Victorian's design a lot, though occasionally, his top hat is too elongated, coming off as silly and curmbersome as opposed to elegant. Overall, though, it's solid work, reminding me of the styles of Greg (Sojourn) Land and Sean (Wolverine) Chen.
Accessibility is a major problem here. Though Wein provides background in the opening pages, he's purposely evasive about the details. Sure, he's maintaining the atmosphere of mystery, but he's leaving out key details that he's already revealed in previous issues (if the "Previous in..." page in #15 is any indication). He also seems to be trying to include all of the characters in every chapter, and it makes for too many subplots, too many jumps from scene to scene. The result is a dizzying read.
Despite those problems, though, I'm fascinated by the intricate plot that's being developed here. The tone of the book strikes me as though we're reading Jules Verne's take on Men in Black. The multiple story directions and lack of clear exposition is confusing, but I also desperately want to know how all of these puzzle pieces fit together. They seem completely disconnected, and the real mystery is how they will all come together over the course of this 25-issues series.
Note: These comic books were not among this week's new releases.
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