I've got to admit, I was predisposed to like this just because it's such a different concept, a 50's private eye story set in Hawaii with supernatural overtones. But Moore and Griffin take a good concept and knock it out of the park, with gorgeous watercolor painted style artwork, hard-boiled characters, a wicked sense of humor and more than a couple twists and turns. Just from the advanced looks at the book, I've been thinking this might be the next Powers-level hit from Image. After reading this first issue, I'm convinced.
Moore and Griffin have captured that style that made L.A. Confidential so well-liked, an approach to police work before Miranda rights were de rigueur, a strong sense of place and a dark plot that gets darker as it goes along. However, while L.A. Confidential was a relentlessly grim story of corruption, Hawaiian Dick has a slightly lighter touch, adding a little bit of humor and supernatural elements to the piece. The latter is especially appropriate, given that Hawaii has a rich cultural heritage that has gone mostly unexplored in fiction, unless you want to count the Brady Bunch episode where Greg finds a cursed totem. Personally, I don't want to count that... I don't really even want to remember it.
Leaving aside the generalities, though, what about the specifics? Well, first there's the characters. Byrd is a slightly grungy but tough P.I. with a dark past in the mold of Humphrey Bogart's characters. Mo Kalama, though built from the same basic mold, is slightly different in that he has a bit more of an upbeat personality, combined with a mean streak that can often be construed as kind of funny, especially when it's being aimed at a weasel informant. And the supporting cast and peripheral players are a lot of fun as well, from the sexy Princess Kahami to the slimy gunsel who engages Byrd's services to Kalama's amusingly jittery snitch. Moore could have given us a little bit more information about them, including Byrd's first name and why Mo works (and sets up) extralegal cases for Byrd beyond "he's an army buddy," but none of it is absolutely necessary to follow the story.
While the story and characters are intriguing, it's the artwork that really blew me away. Griffin's work has an exaggerated style and painted approach that reminds me of Scott Morse, Kyle Baker, Dan Brereton and a whole lot of other talented painters whose work I can't get enough of. The colors are rich and bright, the designs are strong and the overall look really brings the reader into this world. His storytelling style, using fairly standard panel arrangements, is also to be lauded, because it isn't boring but it's straightforward enough to be friendly to new and old readers of comics alike.
Hawaiian Dick is exactly the kind of comic the industry could use more of. It's got an unusual premise and a lot of talent behind it, and it's a lot of fun to read without being light or empty-headed. And it was underordered, so you should make sure and grab a copy where you can, before you wind up paying exorbitant prices on Ebay for a first issue that I'm sure will sell out fast.
