The Vertigo Pop! concept doesn't really seem like one that would interest me, even though I do think it's a nifty idea, exploring other cultures in comics. However, the first issue of Vertigo Pop! London really got my attention, and I was in fact so fascinated by the story that I reread it about four or five times. Milligan spins a gripping story of an over-the-hill rock star missing his youth and making a new reach for it, and Philip Bond's artwork is as gorgeous as you would expect. I'm not sure how this is a general look at London culture, but as a look at a specific aspect of it, the British invasion in the 1960s, it's an interesting spin.
The dilemma facing the lead character in this mini-series is not unlike one I've found myself struggling with over the past few years. You reach a certain point in life when you look back and wonder if you made the right decisions, or if you wasted all your potential. And the thought that it'd be nice to go back and do it again, knowing what you do now, is something that has likely occurred to us all; hell, it's the premise of two prime-time TV series this season and another upcoming book. So the premise has universal appeal.
However, it's not just the premise that draws the attention. Milligan makes non-specific but easy-to-spot references to the British rockers who redefined rock and roll in the 1960s, and Rocky Lamont has recognizable elements of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, to name only a couple influences. He's also taking on the general rock star image, with the young second wife, ultra-hip young daughter and Eastern spirituality found later in life. All of these elements combine with a central premise that is easy to relate to and make Rocky Lamont a believable and fascinating character.
While most of the story is something set in the present day, and in a reality-based setting, the story takes a bit of a mystical and strange twist at the end that surprised and entertained me. Rocky's internal dilemma is externalized in the final page, and the story goes from a search for self into one that raises far more interesting questions, such as what happens when you really can go back and do it all again.
Milligan's writing almost always captures my attention regardless of artist, but when he's working with a truly great artist, his writing goes to the next level. It's no surprise, then, that Vertigo Pop! London is so good, because Philip Bond is one of the greats working today. His rough-edged, cartoony style reminds me of what you might get if you combined Jim Mahfood and Steve Rolston, and it's got amazing expressiveness and energy to it. He is also fantastic at depicting age, important in this story, so that we can see the years on Rocky's face or the youth that belongs to Trixie or Sean.
