Local is already the toast of the town, the belle of the ball, the... prettiest... uh, cheerleader... in the, uh... look, people like it, OK? I'm coming in late on this one, as Local has been praised to the heights by many people already, but I'm coming in to add my voice to the chorus. Local is an exceptional read, a great start to a new series with an impressive pedigree, and a jaw-dropping performance from an artist who clearly has "clicked" with this project like no other. The "local" part of the project is sort of backgrounded in this opening issue, but the lead character comes through loud and clear, and as a meditation on choices we have to make and how easy it can be to make the wrong one, Local #1 is a great read.
My expectations from Local were informed by the concept of using local towns and the loose tie-in to Demo, the previous 12-issue series that Brian Wood did with AIT/Planet Lar. As it turns out, those expectations didn't really prepare me for what Local was actually going to be. Portland figures into this book in the backgrounds, but it's not really there in a way that will stand out to anyone but those who already know of or live in the city. Instead, the focus is purely on the lead character, in a situation that really could take place anywhere.
I admit, this might have disappointed me, because I thought that the cities were going to be a specific and key part of each story, but it's hard to be disappointed when the actual story presented is as good as it is. Wood uses a potentially confusing conceit, that we're watching the possibilities of a key decision play out in the protagaonist's mind, and delivers a tale that shows how easy the wrong turns can be and how hard the right turns to take are to spot. There's a perfect mix of seasoned street tough and vulnerable unsure girl in Megan McKeenan, and seeing her walk through the various scenarios of staying with or leaving her boyfriend (and his drug habit) is a perfectly visual way of introducing us to what has driven her life up to this point.
Much as I loved the story, though, and I mean this with no disrespect to Brian Wood, it is Ryan Kelly who absolutely steals the show here. Kelly has always been solid, whether it's his work with Peter Gross on Books of Magic and Lucifer or his solo performance on Giant Robot Warriors, but Local #1 is just amazing. An astounding level of details in the background, a perfect application of ink and a stylized look that reminds me in a lot of ways of a more-controlled Paul Pope make for a visual experience that ranks amongst the most enjoyable art experiences I've had this year. Give a look at any given page and you'll see the thought and emotion behind Megan's eyes, the despair, anger or worry on her face. Take a look at a specific page, like the splash where she walks out of her boyfriend's car and you can see the seatbelt hanging loosely, or the shot of her approaching Union Station, and you'll see an artist whose attention to detail is stunning. If Local was going to work, it was going to require someone who could imbue the places and backgrounds with their own lives, and Kelly definitely accomplishes that with his portrayal of Portland in Local #1.
Local #1 is a visual tour-de-force and a compelling introduction to an interesting character. I'm curious to see how future issues will more closely tie the locales into the stories, as well as finding out where the road will take Megan McKeenan during the course of the story. In a Bizarro comics market that actually reflected critical consensus, Local #1 would be on track to a debut in the #1 slot, a Hollywood deal and enough money for Wood and Kelly to fill up Scrooge McDuck style vaults and swim in them.
This is an advance review. This book is scheduled to hit shelves on November 9.
