Dark Circle Comics 2015
Written by Duane Swierczynski
Illustrated by Greg Scott
Coloured by Kelly Fitzpatrick
Lettered by Rachel Deering
Greg and his partner have tracked down Jack “Jackie” Mortimer the old man who was with his friend when the men in the van snatched him. Word on the street says he’s the one to talk to when you want to know something. There’s a reason for that and it’s one we get to see this issue. I’m incredibly impressed with how Duane has been telling this story from the start and this issue only cements that for me.
I really like the way this issue came out. With the background information we get on Jackie and the life he used to lead and how he ended up where he is. Then the now part where Greg keeps running into everything full steam ahead instead of thinking or training yeah it’s equally as telling. Both of these vignettes are intertwined and the way it’s been done is pretty darn masterful.
It really is a kind of tale of two lives that seem to have been following the same path. Men driven by careers finding love and then having it all crash down around them. Well Greg’s hasn’t fallen down around him yet, yet being the operative term. Still with the way he’s carrying on without proper training and with the revelations from previous issues well it won’t be long indeed till his world is upside down.
I will say this though the events of this issue did manage to surprise me as well. While we knew the bad guys had figured out Greg’s identity from the motorcycle’s plates the way Duane had this play out here for us was fantastic. Yes there is some extreme violence in the meeting of Greg and these folks but then that’s expected and his unmasking by them was something to be expected all things considered. However how all of this was set-up so that this meeting was to occur wasn’t what I was prepared for. Also the manner in which it is revealed to us in how this did go down was just plain brilliant.
This really does go against the grain of any hero book i’ve ever read and that’s part of huge success for me. That this is told in such a fashion by a man so damaged by himself and too I would almost proud to go about things any other way makes Greg not really an anti-hero but just someone who's struggling to find his new place in the world. While we can see what he needs to do and he seemingly cannot adds to the human quality of the man that sets him apart in a field already crowded.
Greg’s addition to the series has been flawless executed as well. His style and attention to detail has been so much fun to see. While he and Kelly keep the same dark gritty overall tone the new focus on details for me has been a huge surprise. Seeing Greg as this handsome man still even with half his face the way he is and the struggle we see on it is great. The attention to detail in the clothing and in the past sequences or with Jackie as this seemingly demented old drunk shine. I hadn’t realized how much detail we’d been missing before but now that we’re seeing it it makes incredibly happy.
This is one of a rare breed of books that can be enjoyed simply because of the level of talent on display. Gritty crime noir or fledgling superhero wannabe it doesn’t matter because this is a gripping tale of one’s man life and how he finds himself and that is something everyone can relate to.