I missed out on the first Nevermen series. Not sure why, as I'm a fan of Guy Davis and the concept sounded interesting enough, but I was worried that having missed that first series, I might not find it easy to get into this second one. As it turns out, while the plot is built off of a thread from the previous mini, Amara provides all the information necessary to get the readers up to speed, and the plot he is unfolding in Streets of Blood is intriguing all on its own. With Guy Davis and Dan Jackson providing some amazingly detailed artwork that brings Midnight City and its denizens to life, Nevermen: Streets of Blood has definitely caught my attention.
Just reading this first issue, I do have a few unanswered questions, mostly relating to specifics like the time period, the exact nature of the Nevermen and their foe and things like that. They're details, unimportant to the overall story, although I do wish that Amara had worked them into the story. At any rate, it's easy to get a feel for the generalities of the book thanks to the dialogue from Amara and of course the artwork by Davis. Whether or not the book is actually set in the 1930s or not, it has the feel of a serial from that era, with heroes in goggles and trenchcoats and foes dressed in gothic attire. It's right up the alley of former Sandman Mystery Theatre collaborator Davis.
While I may not know exactly what the Nevermen are after this issue, I do know who they are and what has brought them to this point. Amara writes this first issue as almost a set of vignettes introducing each character. We learn what each Neverman does in his "secret identity" and learn how each of them has dealt with the loss of a team member, which I gather from the opening flashback happened in the previous story. We see the birth of Winterbone, and watch as he turns into a dangerous foe, and we get a glimpse of the Murderist as well. There's plenty of exposition here, but it's hidden behind character development in each brief section of the story.
However, it's the artwork that is really the star of the show for me. Davis does absolutely phenomenal and detailed background work, including a spectacular explosion in the beginning, an in-depth view of the Midnight City skyline and interiors that range from a newspaper to an aircraft builder's shop to a well-appointed mansion. The detail in the backgrounds helps to establish the tone of the book to a great degree, although the after-effects of Winterbone's visits give the book its air of menace and pulp flavor.
Moody, evocative and unusual, these are the words I would use to describe The Nevermen. I feel like I've only scratched the surface with this issue, but I can't deny an interest in seeing what else lies beneath.
