I've never been a part of a real edgy culture, and I've never really been into the body modification movement of today, so I was on the outside of the culture that Ellis is exploring in Mek, which is really a futuristic version of the tattoo/piercing crowd today. To some degree, I can't relate to the story, and I'm not as instantly enchanted as I was by Global Frequency #1. However, Ellis and Rolston really do give a sense of the strangeness and high-tech magic of the Mek culture, and they really give a sense of the main story, which sees an early adopter who had gone out and become a high-profile advocate coming back to the street to deal with the murder of an ex-lover.
After the fast pace and self-contained nature of Global Frequency, I was a little surprised to see Ellis return to a more decompressed storytelling mode for Mek, especially considering that this is only a three issue mini-series. The pace is definitely a bit slower, however, as most of the issue centers on inviting the reader into the Mek subculture, exploring the basics of body modification as well as some of the politics, and giving only the merest glimpse at its dark side. I'm left intrigued, but not really hooked, because none of the characters seem immediately all that interesting.
What is interesting, however, is the subculture where this story takes place. Rolston does a fantastic job of expressing the strange nature of machines grafted onto the body without making it overly freakish or sci-fi. Though the gadgetry is bizarre and fantastic, particularly the transformation in the final sequence or the intricate wire work that makes up the lead character's arm, it's done in a realistic enough manner that it feels more like an extension of tattoos and piercing. Gordon's ink line sometimes seems a bit thick for Rolston's work, and I have to admit that I liked the black and white copies I saw more than the finished color version, but at any rate, this is great art.
While Mek didn't grab me right away, I can't deny that Ellis has thrown in plenty of intriguing notions. Though I've made reference to the body modification culture in the modern day, there are also heavy parallels to drug use and drug culture, particularly the notion of "Bad Mek," which is a use of the technology that makes the whole culture look bad, and leads to violence and gangster activity. There's a certain universal appeal in part of that idea, as anyone who's part of any kind of niche culture (and in 2002, is anyone not a part of some kind of niche culture?) will recognize that it's the lunatics who ruin their public image for the rest of them.
So Mek is off to something of a slow start. Ellis, Rolston and the rest bring the reader into the Mek culture, but they haven't really made me feel the importance of Sarissa's return or her mission yet. However, there's plenty here to like, including a very believable take on futuristic culture and some fantastic artwork.
