When Desperado Publishing spin doctor Ian Feller sent along a copy of this new title for review, I just assumed it would prove to be a darker vision of classic children's literature, an adaptation of familiar characters dressed up in edgier, more mature clothes. But that's not what Hatter M proved to be. It reads more like a science-fiction adventure set in the past, and references to Lewis Carroll's classic stories are more like homages rather than extensions of the original material. Of course, the biggest selling point for comics readers is Ben Templesmith's involvement in the project, but the art sets a slightly confusing tone in the opening scene, and it takes a little while for the story to resolve and overcome it.
Hatter M, personal bodyguard to Princess Alyss Heart of Wonderland, emerges from the reflection in a middle in the streetsof 19th-century Paris and desperately searches for the woman whom he's charged to protect. The voyage from one world to another to a rough one, and in the process, Hatter M loses his most valuable asset and weapon: his hat. As he scours the city for both a new hat and the princess, his headgear ends up in the hands of a gothic magician who now finds his act is a real showstopper as a result.
It's not at all clear what happens on the first page when one reads it the first time. It's not until the story unfolds a bit more in the first half of the book that I was able to go back and discern the action. Once I got over that hurdle, though, it was easy to enjoy the book. Templesmith's gritty, dark style suits the tone the writers are aiming for, but he's also able to bring out the lighter moments in the script as well. The artist finds himself in his element later in the book with a scene involving an undead "feast," and the strength he brings to horror comics storytelling really shines through at that moment.
Beddor and Cavalier's decision to include some comedic moments in the book is a wise one, as it's difficult to take the concepts here seriously the entire time. After all, our attention is focused on a technological wonder in hat form. The villain of the piece is an enjoyable one. He's got a Rasputin-like quality, and the nature of his "art" takes the story into the catacombs beneath the city, adding to the unnatural, dark atmosphere.
Where the plot goes awry is in its simplicity. This issue ends up being about the search for the hat and what can happen when it falls into the wrong hands. The larger plot of the princess's whereabouts and how she came to be lost is touched upon but basically shunted to the side as soon as the notion is introduced. The title character's adventure through Paris seems rather haphazard, almost like the character is avoiding his quest of the princess rather than pursuing it. 6/10
