Loveless: A Kin of Homecoming
So I thought I would kick things off with a review that's a bit tough for me. I should love this book. I find Azzarello to be an engaging storyteller, but I must admit that I have a hard time immersing myself into his books. But first some basics on the story.
Loveless is a Western comic set shortly after the American Civil War written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Marcelo Frusin. Wes Cutter is coming home to Blackwater, Missouri. He's fought for the South in the War and survived a Union prison camp. Now he wants his wife and his home, but there's layers of mystery and death every step of the way. The violence is stark and brutal and the sex is urgent and realistic, which frankly I find refreshing. I don't mind violence. I don't mind sex. Hell, I enjoy that last one! But I don't feel that the violence-without-consequence that inhabits most comics of the superheroic variety suits Azzarello at all. If you would like a good example, take a read through his run on Superman. His entire arc is confusing and meandering. I felt as if he never understood quite what to do with The Man of Steel. Cold-blooded, vengeful killers are something Azzarello understands quite well, though.
Hmm. . . remind me never to run into him in a dark alley.
Before anyone asks I don't hate any kind of comic book, nor do I hold a grudge against superhero or non-superhero comics. I just don't feel that a writer is always a good fit. As far as Loveless goes, Azzarello's pacing is superb and his plot is intricate. My only issue is that the flashbacks don't always make as much sense as I like, especially since he interweaves them with the action that is taking place in the "now" of the book. For some readers, finding a character to sympathize with will be a problem. No one in the story is without secrets. No one is unstained.
Artistically, this is a match made in. . . well. . . Heaven is quite the right word for this book. The story is bleak, but it isn't reflected in the art. The pencils are clean as are the inks utilizing a simple-but-effective style with reds and browns and blacks. Those colors ground the reader in the earthiness of the plot and dialogue. I wish that more editors would take the care to try and match up writers and artists that suit each other's styles.
All in all, if you enjoy movies such as Unforgiven or High Plains Drifter you will find something in Loveless: A Kin of Homecoming that you might feel has been missing from comics for a while: Westerns with grit.
I give this 4/5 and look forward to reading the next installment. The only cause for a drop in the rating is the confusing nature of some of the flashbacks.
Edit: A very kind person pointed out that I should have posted a link to the publisher (DC Comics) with the review. I am amending that now with thanks.
Loveless: A Kin of Homecoming is published by DC Comics and the direct url for the book itself is here.
Loveless is a Western comic set shortly after the American Civil War written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Marcelo Frusin. Wes Cutter is coming home to Blackwater, Missouri. He's fought for the South in the War and survived a Union prison camp. Now he wants his wife and his home, but there's layers of mystery and death every step of the way. The violence is stark and brutal and the sex is urgent and realistic, which frankly I find refreshing. I don't mind violence. I don't mind sex. Hell, I enjoy that last one! But I don't feel that the violence-without-consequence that inhabits most comics of the superheroic variety suits Azzarello at all. If you would like a good example, take a read through his run on Superman. His entire arc is confusing and meandering. I felt as if he never understood quite what to do with The Man of Steel. Cold-blooded, vengeful killers are something Azzarello understands quite well, though.
Hmm. . . remind me never to run into him in a dark alley.
Before anyone asks I don't hate any kind of comic book, nor do I hold a grudge against superhero or non-superhero comics. I just don't feel that a writer is always a good fit. As far as Loveless goes, Azzarello's pacing is superb and his plot is intricate. My only issue is that the flashbacks don't always make as much sense as I like, especially since he interweaves them with the action that is taking place in the "now" of the book. For some readers, finding a character to sympathize with will be a problem. No one in the story is without secrets. No one is unstained.
Artistically, this is a match made in. . . well. . . Heaven is quite the right word for this book. The story is bleak, but it isn't reflected in the art. The pencils are clean as are the inks utilizing a simple-but-effective style with reds and browns and blacks. Those colors ground the reader in the earthiness of the plot and dialogue. I wish that more editors would take the care to try and match up writers and artists that suit each other's styles.
All in all, if you enjoy movies such as Unforgiven or High Plains Drifter you will find something in Loveless: A Kin of Homecoming that you might feel has been missing from comics for a while: Westerns with grit.
I give this 4/5 and look forward to reading the next installment. The only cause for a drop in the rating is the confusing nature of some of the flashbacks.
Edit: A very kind person pointed out that I should have posted a link to the publisher (DC Comics) with the review. I am amending that now with thanks.
Loveless: A Kin of Homecoming is published by DC Comics and the direct url for the book itself is here.
posted by D. Corn at 3:56 PM
5 Comments:
I mentioned this to Daniel when we were talking on the phone but it seems worth repeating for those interested.
The art style is stil evolving a bit on this title, especially with regards to flashbacks. Recent issues have made flashbacks a bit clearly to determine by giving them a different art style. Most of it seems to be because of the coloring and inking, but in any event it is getting easier to tell when things are set in the past or present.
Hey Daniel!
Your review has convinced me to pick up Loveless and give it a look-see, so you're off to a good start with this reviewing business. The only suggestions I can make are including links to the title's publisher so your readers don't have to Google it up themseles. That, and including some in-line images from the book that demonstrate your specific criticisms.
In any case, I'll keep tabs on your blog.
- William, who posts on RPG.net as soylent
Thanks, William.
I will try to include images, but I'll be reliant on people scanning the images and my searching ability. Unfortunately, I don't own a scanner.
The link suggestion is excellent. I will edit this immediately.
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The iink suggestion is good, especially for less well known stuff. I'll have to include that in any other reviews I do as well.
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