The cover to the second issue of BLUE ESTATE gets it right. "Never
Dull" pretty much sums it up. This is about as stylish and complex
as any Quentin Tarantino film.
In the comic we meet our cast of characters already moving forward
along their individual paths - Rachel, a Los Angeles starlet with a
secret, Johnny, an Alcoholics Anonymous supporter, with a secret,
and Billy, a realtor with... you guessed it... a secret. How these
separate worlds will intertwine is the most interesting part of the
story.
There's not really much I can say about the comic without giving
away what happens. Each character takes one more step towards what
is sure to be a major event that will involve them all. Rachel is
very likeable, coming across as both vulnerable and strong at the
same time. Johnny is mysterious and I'm sure he's planning
something. Meanwhile, Billy is shown to have plans of his own. Each
one of them has something real that pushes them on and keeps them
motivated. You just know that the end result of their journeys could
be either joyful or tragic. And in this story, you can sense tragedy
just hanging around the corner.
One of the amazing things about this book is that even though it
reads very smooth and was quite entertaining, I was surprised to
discover that it wasn't by one writer and one artist. This comic
boasts three writers and four artists, with Viktor Kalvachev
handling some of both duties. In effect, I would have to say that
the real star here would be Philo Northrop, the editor. I'm sure he
played a big part in meshing all these different creators together
into a cohesive whole. Everything, from the cool cover to the gritty
landscape and settings just clicks. The true test will be to see how
the collective crew will bring this tale to a satisfying ending.
The only negative thing I can really find is that this is one of
those comics that would read even better in a collection without the
pause each month. Especially being a mini-series. I really don't see
people picking up the third and fourth issues unless they already
have read the first two. Hopefully, a quick glance will entice them
to either get caught up or pick up the trade paperback when it comes
out.
Crime fiction is hardly a new genre in comics. However, for every
100 BULLETS and CRIMINAL out there you will find a countless number
of titles that just don't get it right. Sometimes it's from a lack
of substance, sometimes it's a lack of style. BLUE ESTATE succeeds
at both and would probably give any VERTIGO CRIME novel a run for
its money. Highly recommended.
