IDW Publishing 2016
Written by W. Maxwell Prince
Illustrated by Martin Morazzo
Coloured by Mat Lopes
Lettered by Good Old Neon
This is the end of this arc and I have to say that i’m more than a little impressed by everything that we see here. Honestly there was a part of me that hoped that much of the story was all in Brut’s head. I mean he’s crazy after all right and going into a world inside the paintings that he has called the Electric Sublime seems like something that would be well within the realm of the crazy tortured artist type. Part of me wishes that it will still be revealed that much of what occurred was in his head.
I love the use of such classic works that we see so much of in these pages. That Martin and Mat get to flex their artistic muscle and bring them to life here in these pages whether by their own hand in recreation or by manipulating the existing images has this effect on the reader and how we see art through the ages. Powerful, different and proving that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that comics is truly an artform in itself.
I think the way that this story continues to unravel throughout these pages is utterly amazing. From Brut to Director Breslin they both have their own way of working this case. Breslin does the legwork of a cop and it’s something she’s familiar with though what she finds is something a bit out of usual routine. I like that though and all the things both our main characters have to do this issue will define them for a long time to come.
The interiors here are just so darn good. I mean the use of faces, facial expressions and body language that go along with the use of classic paintings really leaves an impression. Plus the paint splatter suits in play here are stupendously done. That the guys can use such varying degrees of work here from the usual comic stuff to pointilism to that abstractism and make it all flow so smoothly leaves me in awe.
I really hope this is just the beginning of a series of stories that will focus on Brut and Breslin. I mean these are two very different, stunning and eerily similar characters who have this kind of intrigue about them that screams for more exploration. Plus with everything that happens in this issue there are has to be more closure and repercussion of what transpires. Both characters have to do things they aren’t comfortable with and the way this ends well who knows if it’s over or not?
Plus I really wanna know more about the dude who likes to dress up as Warhol. I mean that’s just still out there and I like that he feels tortured and relates to him and yet we still know too little about him. What Prince has done is create this world and the players that inhabit it in such a way that I doubt that anything we get will ever be enough. Impressive display of writing, characterisation and storytelling on every level possible.