American Carnage #01
Vertigo Comics 2018
Written by Bryan Hill
Illustrated by Leandro Fernandez
Coloured by Dean White
Lettered by Pat Brousseau
Disgraced FBI agent Richard Wright is offered a chance for redemption when his old mentor sends him undercover to infiltrate a white supremacist group believed to be responsible for the death of a fellow agent.
Being a fan of Bryan’s I knew I was going to read this, I was a little worried it was from Vertigo (DC) but after reading this issue it just reaffirms that this man is as talented as they come. The idea behind it couldn’t be any more relevant to what is happening in the United States right now. There are shades of cover-ups and decidedly biased viewpoints within the superiors of the FBI as well as the Attorney General. No one wants to upset any kind of cash flow now do they so the fact that our elected officials are so easily bought by “philanthropists” and businessmen is one of worst kept secrets in Washington DC.
I rather like the way that this book is structured. The opening is great and it’s a very effective way to get the story started. This approach is perfect actually to tell us how we got to where we need to be and the current status FBI Agent Curry. This is one of the best examples of now and then storytelling that is merged together to flesh out everything we need before moving forward. Also there is some absolutely splendid characterisation going on here as well as some interesting story plot points and story development. Bryan is on point, not to mention on fire with this one it feels controversial and all too ripped from the headlines and that makes it that much better.
The flow of this book is excellent and moving from segment to segment it’s easy to follow the story and what’s happening. This leading up to the introduction of Richard, Rick, is spectacularly sensational, in a National Enquirer kind of way. Oh my word what it could’ve been seeing him naked snorting cocaine in the mirror but not even a tuchus sigh. Still the dialogue here is bloody marvellous as the two old acquaintances play catch-up, yeah right. The language here is such that if you are easily offended or looking to be butthurt, yes there are too many of those out there, then you need to pass on this. The language that we see used feels like it comes from the characters, used not only just for effect from them but sometimes because it’s meant and you have to be able to recognise which is which.
The interiors here are what I was expecting. I thought we’d get more streamlined and that kind of attention to detail that makes the eyes pop. Instead it’s more along an impressionable style where I cannot tell what Rick is and half the time the nose is missing. Then there are the eyes and there is something about them that just always sit well with me. I find that odd because there are pages where the work looks I would expect it to so I know he can do it. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows a fine eye for storytelling. There is so much potential here and perhaps it’ll grow on me more but I’ll have throughout the entire to find out.
I am intrigued by the story here. There are too many aspects that seem contradictory and yet work amazingly well opposite each other. Rule breaking, law breaking, hate groups and government officials on someone else’s payroll than the American people I mean what’s not to love about something so volatile that even a cigarette would make it blow like a bomb!
Vertigo Comics 2018
Written by Bryan Hill
Illustrated by Leandro Fernandez
Coloured by Dean White
Lettered by Pat Brousseau
Disgraced FBI agent Richard Wright is offered a chance for redemption when his old mentor sends him undercover to infiltrate a white supremacist group believed to be responsible for the death of a fellow agent.
Being a fan of Bryan’s I knew I was going to read this, I was a little worried it was from Vertigo (DC) but after reading this issue it just reaffirms that this man is as talented as they come. The idea behind it couldn’t be any more relevant to what is happening in the United States right now. There are shades of cover-ups and decidedly biased viewpoints within the superiors of the FBI as well as the Attorney General. No one wants to upset any kind of cash flow now do they so the fact that our elected officials are so easily bought by “philanthropists” and businessmen is one of worst kept secrets in Washington DC.
I rather like the way that this book is structured. The opening is great and it’s a very effective way to get the story started. This approach is perfect actually to tell us how we got to where we need to be and the current status FBI Agent Curry. This is one of the best examples of now and then storytelling that is merged together to flesh out everything we need before moving forward. Also there is some absolutely splendid characterisation going on here as well as some interesting story plot points and story development. Bryan is on point, not to mention on fire with this one it feels controversial and all too ripped from the headlines and that makes it that much better.
The flow of this book is excellent and moving from segment to segment it’s easy to follow the story and what’s happening. This leading up to the introduction of Richard, Rick, is spectacularly sensational, in a National Enquirer kind of way. Oh my word what it could’ve been seeing him naked snorting cocaine in the mirror but not even a tuchus sigh. Still the dialogue here is bloody marvellous as the two old acquaintances play catch-up, yeah right. The language here is such that if you are easily offended or looking to be butthurt, yes there are too many of those out there, then you need to pass on this. The language that we see used feels like it comes from the characters, used not only just for effect from them but sometimes because it’s meant and you have to be able to recognise which is which.
The interiors here are what I was expecting. I thought we’d get more streamlined and that kind of attention to detail that makes the eyes pop. Instead it’s more along an impressionable style where I cannot tell what Rick is and half the time the nose is missing. Then there are the eyes and there is something about them that just always sit well with me. I find that odd because there are pages where the work looks I would expect it to so I know he can do it. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows a fine eye for storytelling. There is so much potential here and perhaps it’ll grow on me more but I’ll have throughout the entire to find out.
I am intrigued by the story here. There are too many aspects that seem contradictory and yet work amazingly well opposite each other. Rule breaking, law breaking, hate groups and government officials on someone else’s payroll than the American people I mean what’s not to love about something so volatile that even a cigarette would make it blow like a bomb!
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