Pulp detectives, golden age super-heroes, modern vigilantes and investigative reporters all combine in The Forgotten, a modern-day pulp noir story from Fintan Studios. The first issue introduced some intriguing lead characters, and this second issue gives the creators room to explore the plot a little more, introducing several potential suspects in the murder of Mindy Flowers and deepening the mystery while still giving some characterization time to the main leads. Another change in the second issue is the change in artist, which I was a bit nervous about given how much I enjoyed the art originally, but Cheeseman-Meyer and his two inkers do a terrific job maintaining both the tone and the professional quality that was established in the first issue.
I'm enjoying the approach that Grealish and Young have taken to the lead character, who is a driven vigilante with as much in common with Charles Bronson as Sam Spade, equal parts Batman and the Shadow. Basically they've blended the pulp elements and the more modern elements of super-heroic style together to create a story with a classic feel and all the sophistication of a modern mystery. Grealish and Young introduce a variety of potential murderers in this issue, but they never make the plot overly confusing. In addition, the first person narration for both Mr. Mystery and Sara Dawning is a great shortcut method of characterization and exposition.
Though the story focuses on mystery and investigation, that doesn't mean there isn't room for some action. The creators deliver a terrific motorcycle/police chase in this issue that culminates in a flashy use of the main character's powers and a terrific splash page. Cheeseman-Meyer uses a variety of camera angles and a style that has just enough backgrounds to give a sense of place without overwhelming the importance of the chase scene in the foreground, and he really sells the violent side effects of Mr. Mystery's power use.
Cheeseman-Meyer is another find for Fintan Studios, as his work is pretty solid in the storytelling department. His figures are sometimes inconsistent, and overall he could use some refinement in terms of precision, but his storytelling is very strong. The expressions of the characters, the action and the shadows in the book all give the story the right tone and make the plot easy to follow. Credit should also go to the two inkers, who give the book a fairly consistent tone, although I was particularly impressed with the detailed faces and strong lines on the last few pages.
The Forgotten has a detailed and deepening mystery, a pulp fiction tone and a couple of very likable protagonists. It is a freshman effort from a new company, but it has all the hallmarks of a professional comic, and would probably find favor with fans of Powers and Alias.
