Wow. And I thought Tara Chace had it rough. Declassified is the story of Paul Crocker before he was head of section, back when he was just another Minder, and apparently 1986 was a rough year for M.I.5. Rucka conveys all the politics and uncertainty that has made Queen & Country so entertaining, but he also definitely gives the feeling for the change in time period, when the focus was less on worldwide terrorism and more on the Cold War between the East and the West. As an added bonus, Rucka has teamed up again with Hurtt, who handled art chores on the second arc of Queen & Country, and much as I enjoyed the artwork on that arc, I think Hurtt's work is actually head and shoulders above it in terms of quality.
Paul Crocker is a character who I've come to enjoy quite a bit in the pages of Queen & Country, but his role in this mini-series is considerably different. Whereas the Paul Crocker I've known is a tough and grumpy guy who knows the politics of the business inside out, this mini-series focuses on the human side of him, when he was just starting out as an agent. In fact, Crocker is actually a little softer than the modern Minder he supervises, Tara Chace, given that he actually has something to go home to, a new wife and a life outside the office. That was a surprise to me, and it instantly told me plenty of new things about Crocker. The fact that his wife doesn't get to know that one of his co-workers has died also tells me something about their relationship.
In addition to getting to know Crocker more, this series is also about how the politics shift the game of espionage over time. The Cold War paranoia and the sense of one powerful opponent rather than dozens of sneaky ones comes through loud and clear in this issue, starting with the opening sequence. We've had the nervous experience of faking past a border guard or dodging pursuers in Queen & Country, but there's a different feeling to this border crossing, as Paul's people watch him and can't do anything to help him. Rucka also sets up the difficulties that the agency is feeling at this point in time, with agents being killed on assignment, often burned by the very people they were meant to be helping.
Hurtt's work here is nothing short of fantastic, with terrific detail and great work in setting the scene. His double-page splash of the East/West Berlin divide is phenomenal work, instantly putting the reader into the timeframe and locale, and his work on the Ukraine has the same effect. In addition, he seems to have stepped up the level of detail and precision he puts into his character work, as there's a lot going on in the faces of these characters. Crocker in particular looks remarkably like the man he'll become, but he doesn't seem as weary and worn out yet.
At this point, it's not a big surprise to enjoy Queen & Country, especially when the artist is a known quantity. But Declassified surpassed even my expectations, and although I wouldn't give up Chace and Kittering for the world, I'm glad to get this chance to see more of what Crocker's field experience looked like.
