I'm a relative latecomer to the work of Scott Morse, but the more I see of it, the more I like it. And while the visuals of Elektra: Glimpse & Echo are hard to beat given their painted color, Morse's artwork shines in black and white as well, which you can see in every page of Ancient Joe. This is sort of the "ultimate edition" of Ancient Joe, including not only the Dark Horse mini-series but some short stories that give context to the story, and Morse tells the story in a way that makes it read more like a tale out of folklore than a newly created comic.
There's a simple premise at the heart of Ancient Joe that is hard to resist: An immortal trickster conned the devil out of some silver, and now he worries that the devil might seek revenge. This concept is shown in two different stories this issue, the one in which Joe's con game on El Diablo is actually shown and the follow-up story where he tries to seek out the soul of his wife and make sure she is safe from El Diablo's revenge. Both are fascinating, although the first reads more like a tale you might find in a mythology book, while the second is more intimate, inviting the reader to get to know the characters better.
Ancient Joe may be an immortal trickster, but he's a down-to-earth guy, and that makes him very approachable. His dialogue, whether it's friendly banter with his friends or his teasing of the kids as he tells them his story, marks him as a nice guy. The biggest chunk of story actually concerns itself less with Joe and his problems and more with how Joe can help a little girl, whose problems turn out to be quite different than they originally appear, and just as odd as the problem that Joe faces.
Morse's artwork is phenomenal in the book, which comes as no surprise. His distinctive style conveys the wide-eyed optimism of youth, the exotic but not fantastic city and rural settings where the story takes place and the dichotomy of Joe's weird appearance and everyman attitude. It says a lot about Morse's talent that Joe has expressions in the way he moves, because while his design is certainly eye-catching, it doesn't lend itself easily to facial expressions. Morse also has a command over inks and shadow that is second-to-none, and that serves him well here too.
Scott Morse's creations always have a sort of spiritual feeling to them, but they're easy for just about anyone to relate to. Ancient Joe stands alongside his work on Soulwind as visionary and beautiful, and given the way he writes about Joe in the "Sources" text piece at the end, I'm hopeful that we may yet see more of the many available stories for this fascinating character.
