I definitely misjudged Violent Messiahs at the beginning, because the first two issues of Lamenting Pain have hooked me but good, reading like a cross between the psychological horror of David Fincher and a super-hero book. Dysart pulls no punches in establishing the costumed vigilante of this issue as a twisted and dangerous freak, nor does he over-sell the protagonist, who has more than a few problems of her own. And Tone Rodriguez does some amazing work as well, whether it's his depiction of the corrupt from birth city of Rankor Island, the torment of Lieutenant Major or flashbacks to the story in "Book of Job" which started the events of this story.
Dysart is not kind to his creations. The lead characters have been subjected to conspiracies and horrors that have driven them at least mildly insane at best. The issue opens with Cheri Major in the hands of a disturbed and violent sociopath, and doesn't get much better for her from there. She's been dragged into something much bigger than herself, and this issue is both a chance for Dysart to give her more pain to struggle against as well as showing why she's suited to take on this sort of task. Major's life has obviously never been easy, and her difficult upbringing has steeled her for a career and a case that aren't the easiest sort of things to deal with as well.
What I like the most, I think, is that Dysart brings a sort of realist, cynical viewpoint to this world where the most unusual and bizarre things happen. There was a bit of Bendis-ian dialogue when Houston comments on how the direction the investigation has taken them into the realm of sex and fetishism, and Major for all her various psychological problems seems like a pretty grounded individual. Impressively enough, however, Dysart is also able to handle the seriously f-ed up psyches of Citizen Pain or his protege. The final sequence in this issue, complete with the last page surprise reveal, has some terrific moments indicating a skewed worldview.
Rodriguez's artwork is a veritable stew of influences, and while it doesn't stand out as being as strikingly original as something like Mike Avon Oeming or Eduardo Risso, it's fantastic looking stuff. If I had to nail it down, I'd say that Rodriguez looks like a cross between Todd McFarlane and Darick Robertson, with incredibly expressive characters and a good sense of when to exaggerate for effect and when to play things fairly straight. He gets a lot of mileage out of the anger, sadness and frustration that characterizes much of Major's reactions in this issue, and I'm impressed with how expressive he makes the basically featureless costume of Scalpel so emotive.
Violent Messiahs is a dark horror/suspense story with a sly sense of humor hiding around the edges. Dysart and Rodriguez paint a bleak picture, but they do so in a manner which keeps it from being overly repressive or not fun for the readers. Along with strong atmosphere and an interesting plot, they've got some fascinating characters and fantastic art, making for an impressive total package.
