Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
I've had a chance to read the first issue of this book, and I'm going to sit out reviewing it just because of how proud I am of the author, Bill Rosemann, a childhood friend of mine. It still seems surreal to me that he's made good like this and that I can actually hold a comic book by him in my hands. Way to go, Bill! Let's see what these other guys have to say about it:
Hey Gang. Andrew from Gray Haven Magazine.com here. A few weeks back we brought you interviews with the creative team of the forthcoming mini-series, Deadline. Check em out in the Interviews section of GHM for a refresher.
I've been an admirer of Guy Davis' art since the days of Baker Street so I was really looking forward to this book. But the fact that writer Bill Rosemann is a friend of mine gave me pause to think whether anyone would consider my review of his book biased or not. Frankly, I don't care. If I didn't like the book, you wouldn't see us writing about it. And for the naysayers, we've included a few opinions from some other more objective reviewers.
The bottom line is that Deadline is a comic you should have pre-ordered and you're going to have to pick up in a couple months when it comes out. Now we'll tell you why.
Deadline #1
Written by Bill Rosemann and illustrated by Guy Davis
Published by Marvel Comics
Shipping April 3, 2002
Deadline is the story of Katherine 'Kat' Farrell, a rookie reporter for the Daily Bugle who is stuck on the superhero beat, the lowest of the low in terms of hierarchy at the Bugle. Kat wants to get away from the 'capes' as she refers to the masked heroes and follow in the footsteps of a true crime reporter like Ben Urich. To her, the Spider-Mans and Daredevils of the world are nothing more than immature boys taking the recognition away from the true heroes. The cops. The firefighters.
We first meet Kat as she's grilling Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch) over his dating and partying habits and whether his rumored bar hopping the night before was responsible for the disastrous turn of events that occurred during a battle with a super villain. Kat has no respect for 'capes' and they feel she's nothing more than a nuisance, but in order to achieve her goal of getting to a more respectable position at the Bugle, she needs to be the best at her job, even if she can't be proud of what she's covering. She needs a big story.
And that big story occurs in the form of dead super beings piling up in New York. Seven of them in the last six months, and all with the same apparent causes of death. Kat decides to investigate further and her trail leads to Judge Michael Hart, a man once dubbed 'no Hart' because of his extraordinarily harsh sentences for 'capes'. Hart went missing shortly after the body of his new bride was found and the underworld rumors abound that Hart is back with a vengeance. Kat digs deeper into the murders and the missing Hart but then she has a confrontation that will drastically change the game. Anyone who's seen Previews got a glimpse at one of the new characters introduced here, but at the risk of spoiling the story, I won't go into it except to say that said character makes an impressive entrance.
So how was the first issue? Rosemann and Davis hit a bullsye.
The protagonist, Katherine Farrell is one of the more interesting characters to come out of Marvel in quite some time. We immediately get a sense of her frustration at being a reporter for the major newspaper in the biggest city in the world and yet forced to work on stories that she is embarrassed to be covering. She admits to hating capes and has no qualms about mixing it up with the people she's assigned to interview and report on. It's all beneath her and her journalism degree from Notre Dame. But in order to have any shot at following in the footsteps of a Ben Urich or Joe Robertson, she needs to prove herself.
I love the ideas of focusing on a non super-powered character. The fact that she's a reporter for the Daily Bugle opens the possibility of some wonderful story moments. Ben Urich, Robbie Robertson, Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant and others are well known Bugle employees throughout the Marvel Universe. Any attempt to shed more light on their work lives is a good idea. We know Jameson hates masked vigilantes with a passion and it could be interesting to see how Farrell and he play off one another. Robertson is there as a voice of reason in this hectic mosh pit of confusion that is a metropolitan newspaper and Betty is the level headed veteran and friend who tries to guide Kat.
One scene I particularly enjoyed took place at Josie's bar where Kat questioned famed stoolie, Turk. Turk and Josie's were made famous by Frank Miller during his initial Daredevil run and it was amusing to see that Turk has picked up right where we last left him, shooting off his mouth about the man in red. Rosemann also picks a blast from the past with the cameo by Carjack (yes, he was a real Marvel villain) and he doesn't shy away from making a comment, through Kat's voice, on what he thinks of the ridiculously over the top villain.
This isn't a book about superhero slugfests or flashy cosmic adventures. The approach is a gritty, real world look into the New York City of the Marvel Universe and some of its more outlandish inhabitants. The key to a story like this is going to be the dialogue and Rosemann does a good job of keeping the melodrama to a minimum. There are a couple scenes where the back and forth between characters seems a tad rehearsed, but the flow of the book isn't jeopardized by it. In fact, most of the 'witty banter' is quite amusing and works to establish the boundaries of the book.
Davis picked a heck of a book for his first Marvel project. For my money, he's one of the most underrated artists in the business and I'm hoping he gets the exposure he deserves with this work. Anyone who's read Baker Street or The Marquis should be amazed at the amount of detail in Davis characters, his landscapes and his architecture. While we only get a few glimpses of New York City in this first issue, one can only image what Davis' New York City skyline is going to look like when he's done. He is able to convey both the beauty and awe of New York while at the same time showing the more ominous side of the city
His more defined style is a great match for the story Rosemann is telling. It's a book where New York is as much of a character as Kat or the Bugle reporters and Davis spares no detail. Each crowd scene is done to perfection with every single person or object given their own distinct features. In one scene taking place inside the Bugle offices, you can see out the windows to the City's skyline, observe the employees going about their business or just take in Kat's life, from her own perspective. I think it looks beautiful in the black and white copy I read, but this is going to look absolutely amazing in color.
Strong dialogue with superb art and an immensely likeable new character in Katherine Farrell make Deadline a winner. Rosemann and Davis definitely have my attention now. Don't let this one pass you by.
Overall: 9.5 out of 10
Deadline #1 (of 4)
Reviewed by Travis E. Howard
In sitting down to write this review, I had to ask myself, what could I possibly tell you about this series that would convince you to pick it up. So, here goes nothing...
I'll admit, your average reader may pass over this excellent, well-written, lavishly illustrated comic, just because it's not like the other titles out there on the market. If you're one of these readers, you owe it to yourself to at least give the first issue a try.
Why?
Let's start with the concept... as you may have already heard, it's about a "newbie" reporter at the Daily Bugle, who's assigned the job that no one wants, covering the superhero beat. Sure, superhero fights sell papers, but not since the limited series DAMAGE CONTROL has someone asked the fundamental question, "What happens when the fight is over?" Enter the main character, Kat.
Kat is the untested wanna-be reporter, fresh from her stint in the Bugle's intern pool having fetched coffee, now out to prove herself with a real story. Unfortunately, not everyone can be Ben Ulrich and crank out your Woodward and Bernstein type expose on the Kingpin, so, she's stuck with the job of follow-up at superhero incidents. She's so dedicated to her quest that she'll take many dangerous risks to make her dream happen.
How risky can it be being a reporter you ask? Well, try implying the reason Central Park got destroyed was because someone who can go supernova had a hangover. Or how about frequenting the seedier underbelly of Marvel's bars in Hell's Kitchen taunting stool pigeons and informants. Then, how about almost getting raped and killed by a serial murderer, only to find yourself saved by a possibly dead man?
But anyways, I'm getting ahead of myself. Rosemann does an excellent job of making the characters believable, and interacting realistically. Taking a page from Brian Bendis, he injects a hyper kinetic, playful dialogue between characters allowing them to take on a life of their own.
The realism doesn't stop there, however. Enter Guy Davis. Guy is easily at home portraying the harsh streets and alleyways of New York, and yet, illustrating them in such a way that they're no longer just lifeless, background images. Each setting is unique, and has its own distinct "feel". As a result, New York City becomes a supporting character, making you almost wish you lived there.
And speaking of characters, Guy does a superb job of bringing Kat to life. She's instantly recognizable as a young adult, wide-eyed and innocent, but with a spark of defiance that young adulthood brings with it. The bums LOOK like bums, the elder staff members at the Bugle, reflect their appropriate time periods, etc, etc. The level of detail is amazing, and if you haven't experienced Guy's work elsewhere; you owe it to yourself to give this series a shot.
Lastly, I'd like to point out that I'm looking forward to seeing more of the Judge character. Like Daredevil, we have a character who's a dichotomy of justice and vigilantism, but accused of a crime he may not have committed. And while I get a distinct Spectre feel about the Judge, I'm hoping the series delves more into his background and how it relates to the overall story, rather than him just being a cipher.
So there you have it. A bit long winded, but I hope you pick it up, as it's well deserving of the advance praise it's already getting. It's projects like these that deserve to be supported, so grab a copy, and let Marvel know you want to see more of this type work in the future.
Overall: 10/10
Deadline #1 (of 4)
Reviewed by Aaron "Vroom Socko" Button
Katherine Farrell hates Superheroes. Hates 'em. These people are accountable to no one, tear up the city on a regular basis, and act like we should be grateful to even speak to them. But worst of all, as the youngest reporter currently working for the Daily Bugle, Kat has to spend her workday covering the latest "Cape" incident instead of a real story. Her best chance to get promoted is to break a story on a local serial killer: a Cape who kills other Capes.
While there are one or two tiny flaws in the first issue (the Marvel Zombie in me just has to question why Johnny Storm is portrayed as a superhero Leo DiCaprio,) the issue as a whole is both a quality story starring a great new character and a positive indicator of what to expect from Marvel in 2002.
Bill Rosemann does a stellar job of making Kat out to be more than just a cute version of J. Jonah Jameson (although thanks to Guy Davis, she is cute.) She lives in a cruddy apartment, doesn't get along with her mother, and even has a pet fish named Bilbo Baggins. The other characters are also fun to read, with the standout being "Fishbone," the tattoo artist who stocks adamantiun needles with which to ink the arms of the superhuman populace.
Guy Davis gives the book the right look and feel for each scene. The art is hard and stark when Kat is wandering the dives and alleys of New York on the trail of her story, softer and brighter when she's at home, chaotic when showing the City Room at the Bugle. I don't know of many artists at Marvel who could handle a non-Superhero story, but Davis passes with flying colors.
Titles like this are why I'm buying more stuff from Marvel. Decisions like "Let's do a character driven story about a reporter who hates Superheroes" is both riskier and much more impressive than "Let's turn the X-Men into black leather wearing sociopaths." It also helps that the first Cape killer victim shown is former Thunderstrike villain Carjack. Any title that helps to rid the world of insipid 90's villains is okay in my book.
Overall: 9/10
And they also sent along some artwork from the book so you can take a look at it for yourself. Enjoy!
