As someone who has been reading comics for over twenty years, and reviewing them for a while as well, I like to think that I have a pretty good knowledge of comics present and past, including the more obscure indy offerings of the '80s and '90s. How is it, then, that Richard Starkings has consistently picked up books I've never heard of for his Active Images imprint, especially when every one of them has been a gem? Temptation is the latest in the line of obscure comics getting a long overdue collection or reprinting, being a very simple strip about a man who is tempted to sell his soul by the devil. This sounds like an idea that would get old, especially since we've seen this kind of story before, but Dakin finds endless variety in the relationship between man and devil, not to mention providing both archetypal characters with quirky individual personalities beyond those dictated by their roles.
Temptation is very much a strip-based style of storytelling, done in a variety of one-page strips that are reprinted here from a variety of original sources. However, while the stories are enjoyable as one-off gags, there is an evolution of the central relationship that develops as you read the stories. It's not one that requires you to read the stories in any order, but after you've read a few, you get a sort of friendliness to the rivalry that defines these two characters, a sense that this is a game as much as serious business, and even a sense that these two are best friends at the same time as they are worst enemies. I'm reminded of the classic Sam and Ralph cartoon from the Warner Brothers studios, and then of course there's the obvious parallels to the larger relationship between the Devil and God, or the people that God made in his image.
Despite featuring the Devil in a lead role (and God in a brief cameo), Temptation doesn't really delve into religious territory that much. It's not preachy, nor is it anti-religion; if anything, the message it sends is one about moral character and the strength to resist the easy out in the name of looking at long term ends. Which all makes it sound very lofty and intelligent, which indeed it is, but risks not letting on just how funny it is. Dakin has taken a very simple premise and crafted any number of hilarious gags out of it. Many of them involve the man figuring out the Devil's bargains, such as when he realizes that even in the middle of the desert, any amount of money is "more money than he can spend," or the laugh out loud moment when the Devil blows his scam trying to convince the man that he's become invisible. But there are also a few that involve the Devil getting the better end of the deal, usually involving the man being blown up or beaten up in cartoon fashion, as well as a few that take a 90 degree turn into a different punchline. I found that these strips were my favorite, as when the Devil ends up taking the man on a double date or saddling him with babysitting difficulties, as it reinforced the friendly relationship between the two.
Dakin's comic timing is not restricted to his writing. Though the art style seems fairly simple, and is indeed based on iconic representations of his characters rather than highly detailed versions, his characters are wonderfully expressive. The Devil here is a comical figure, not a terrifying one, more of a hapless guy trying to get through his work day than a skillful manipulator, and the man is a genial, intelligent fellow, when he could easily have come off as an annoying moralizer. In addition, while the setting is a featureless desert, Dakin's stories often call for props or costumes that add a nice bit of detail to the story, and he has plenty of gags requiring visual timing, such as the punchlines to the magic mirror or comet strips.
I don't know how it is that Richard Starkings keeps finding these gems for his Active Images line, but I hope that he continues to do so. Temptation is another in a small but growing line of high-quality graphic novels containing comics you haven't heard of yet but won't be able to forget once you've read them.
