[By now you might have surmised my problem. I only read
three comic books back then: Evil Ernie, Preacher and Hitman. What the fuck was
I going to do for the rest of my time as a comic book reviewer? I had to find
new shit. I remember I was in the Wheaton Graham Crackers, and I saw Scene of
the Crime #1 was the week’s recommended read. I decided to give it a try. It
was my first experience with Ed Brubaker, and it certainly wasn’t my last. I
did cringe while rereading this review. I wasn’t old enough to read Chandler’s
books. I didn’t get it at the time. I want to go back in time and slap the shit
out of the kid I was back then. Chandler is now one of my favorite mystery
authors. I also didn’t know jack shit about romantics at the time. I don’t
claim to be a genius. I’m pretty sure I’m not. But life is a learning process,
and I am lightyears ahead of the stupid kid I was. You’ll probably notice a lot
of this shit as the John Bruni Museum of Etc. progresses. This is from the
April 13, 1999 issue of the Elmhurst College Leader.]
New mini-series “Scene of the Crime” is an odd addition to
Vertigo DC. In fact, one could say it is a mystery. For one, it is a bit slow
(not that it is bad—the storytelling is excellent) with a surprising shortage
of violence. There is one fight scene and one near-fight. Speaking of
shortages, there’s very little Vertigo trademark swearing, and there’s
absolutely no nudity despite a high sexual content. This is the story that
proves Vertigo can hook the reader without being vulgar.
It’s a crazy hybrid story that is noir-ish, yet breaks the
stereotypical private investigator we are used to. The story starts out with a
conversation in the middle of the rainy night to set the noir mood, and to
supplement it, there are plenty of blinds to look through (the cover sports a
nice set). Of course, there’s a stakeout of a seedy motel (always a requirement
when it comes to detective noir). As Jack Herriman, the main character, makes
his way through his investigation, one can only be reminded of Phillip Marlowe,
except Jack has a lot more personality than Chandler’s detective.
Jack is not the private investigator one would expect. He
breaks the stereotype set by Bogie in movies like The Maltese Falcon. For one,
the immortal trench coat is missing, and in its place is a sweater. He doesn’t
even smoke! Not only that, but his office isn’t dark and dirty, littered with
empty bourbon bottles. It’s kind of neat, barring a few loose papers on his
desk. Jack’s not even a tough guy. The one fight that appears in the comic, he
loses, and he confesses that he loses quite often. He doesn’t own a gun (or any
other weapon, for that matter). Instead of Bogie’s wise comments made to thugs’
faces, Jack insults them as he drives away.
The one thing that sets him apart from other fictional
detectives, which makes this story so good, is that Jack’s a romantic dreamer.
When he sees a picture of the woman he is supposed to find, he notices a “quiet
sadness” that attracts him. Later, when he actually finds her, he keeps relating
the feeling of being on a date instead of working on a case. He’s a very deep
character. As for the story, it’s pretty good. The plot is simple: Alexandra
Jordan is sent to Jack by an old friend on the police force. She wants Jack to
find her sister Maggie. The cops can’t get involved because of her bad record,
which leaves Jack on his own.
Writer Ed Brubaker’s strong point is definitely
characterization. He’s also very good at the cliffhanger ending. It was so
surprising it felt like a punch to the gut.
Artist Michael Lark isn’t half-bad, either. He is at his
best when using shadows and placing thoughtful looks on Jack’s face.
Scene still has three issues to go, and with a character
like Jack, no matter what happens in the story, it’s definitely worth the
two-fifty each month.
After reading the SOTC preview in Vertigo Winter's Edge, I anticipated so much about the mini and then...
ReplyDeleteIf it was a 12-issue series at least, as a collection of short arcs like a tv show...
SOTC had a lot of potential (like A LOT of other Vertigo titles), but the format (and even the plot) killed the book for me. What a waste.