Jumping-on point: Dark Horse's "The Creep"
You know, with all the New 52s and Marvel NOWs going on, one might easily lose sight of some great things happening elsewhere. And by "elsewhere" I mean Dark Horse comics. I've been hypnotized by their series "The Massive", a Brian Wood comicbook that started just a few months ago, and now it seems I may have another book to get excited about. I'm talking about "The Creep", by John Arcudi (B.P.R.D.) and Jonathan Case (The Green River Killer).
Last month saw the release of "The Creep" #0 (you can preview and buy it here), and somehow, that one issue managed to get me instantly hooked. Since there's barely over 20 pages of story so far, I'll just give you the basic plot: A teenage boy commits suicide only two months after his friend did it. Stephanie, the mother of the boy, suspects there must be something more to it, cause there was seemingly no real reason for the boy to want to end his life. The police shrug it off, saying there's nothing out of the ordinary about the whole thing and in fact teenage suicides happen all the time. The devastated mom contacts her old college flame, a man she hasn't talked to in years, and who's now a private investigator. What she doesn't realize is that Oxel Karnhus (the said detective and our protagonist) suffers from acromegaly, a disease that kicks in mid-life and causes physical deformities, giving the person grotesque, overstated features. Either because he still has feelings for the lady or because he's the only one she has left that could help her, our man decides to investigate the kid's suicide. He's not about to reveal to Stephanie the condition he suffers from, though. And that's basically it, for the moment. That may not sound like a lot, but believe me - you won't be disappointed in this book. The way the story is presented makes all the difference and pushes it from "Oh, ok. Doesn't sound that exciting" territory to "WHAT HAPPENS NEXT??". The relations between Oxel and Stephanie, the reactions to the young boy's death, the feelings the characters have and the way they act upon them are entirely believable and realistic. The plot is quite heavy, especially with the emphasis on all that drama going on, but Case's art, with its simple lines and sharp colors somehow both stands in contrast to the story and compliments it perfectly. The art itself makes the plot that much more affecting. The visual difference between the flashback panels and the panels happening in current times also adds to the overall beauty of this book. It's also hard not to root for Oxel, a man who has the misfortune of looking like a Dick Tracy villain in a world that's (so far) very firmly rooted in reality. We don't know how his investigation will go and he has to tread carefully as he's dealing with people who are going through the most tragic event of their lives. You may be thinking "man, Señor Editor, this just sounds awfully depressing so far!", but the brilliant thing about "The Creep" is all the possibilities and directions this story could take. This is not your average crime book. It's the right mix of weirdness and reality and it seems like something truly original not only as far as comics go, but as a work of fiction in general. "Creep" has a very distinct tone and atmosphere to it and I was very surprised how immersive it is and how quickly it got my complete attention. I'm really looking forward to the next issue! And speaking of next issue, this is the perfect time to check "The Creep" out, because the proper issue #1 comes out today! I suggest you pick it up, because not only is this the best possible "jumping on" point you could dream of, but it's most likely a comic unlike anything else you're reading right now. I really have to hand it to Dark Horse - the brand new original series they've been releasing lately quickly became my favorite ongoing books. Now go, faithful Trash Mutant reader. Get Arcudi's and Case's "Creep" and come back to thank me later! |
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