I know a little about the premise of Sleeper, which means I know a little about the plot of Point Blank. However, I think that even those completely in the dark about what's to come will be drawn into the dark and mysterious world that Brubaker is working with here. Brubaker's strengths have always lain in writing mysteries, and Point Blank is exactly that, tinged with a heavy espionage flavor and a very dark and realistic portrayal of the underworld of spies. He's backed up by Colin Wilson, whose work seems poised to follow in the footsteps of guys like Eduardo Risso in terms of shadows and energy.
Though Point Blank is in a thoroughly modern (even futuristic, in some respects) setting, the tone is classic noir. Grifter is the definition of a flawed anti-hero, with motivations and personality traits that mark him as somewhat anti-social and yet more moral and heroic than others around him by virtue of his loyalty and trustworthiness. Even the setting, a sort of down and out bar, is perfect for this kind of story, with the hero spending as much time contemplating his poor potential future as his current predicament.
This will read as an interesting modern day look at some members of Team 7 for long-time Wildstorm readers, as the old soldiers start to feel obsolete, but it is very accessible to new readers as well. Through Grifter's own self-pitying (but not annoyingly so) narration, we learn of the history he and Lynch share, the basic personalities of each men and any other necessary backstory, tailored to the needs of the current story. That current story is also told in a clever fashion, using a variety of forward-moving flashbacks triggered by a pair of keywords to bring the reader up to speed. The unconventional pacing serves the book well, giving it an air of mystery and tension without making it overly difficult to understand.
Colin Wilson is a new name to me, but I'm given to understand that he's had a long career in Europe already. His work is full of beautiful detail and shadow work, and he stages action scenes and the dreary mundane reality of everyday life equally well. I did find myself wishing at times for a little more consistency in the faces on close-up, but his depiction of this gritty and borderline sleazy underworld gives the story the atmosphere that it needs. I wasn't quite as sold on Janet Gale's colors, which are sometimes a little too dark and other times a little too garish, with a heavy focus on oranges and browns, but the basic skill is there, and it reminds me somewhat of very early work by Matt Hollingsworth, who has since become one of my favorite colorists.
Point Blank is a look at the espionage underpinnings that have always been important to the Wildstorm universe, but from a whole new, less super-heroic perspective. The result is familiar characters told in an unfamiliar style, and a story that will appeal to old school fans of Wildcats as much as it does to new school crime and espionage fans.
