PARADIGM

Issue 1

Writer: Matthew Cashel

Artist: Jeremy Haun

Two Irish Guys Press

B&W - 34 story pages; $3.00 US/ $4.77 Can

March, 2002

      Let’s take this in the order all of us really approach a comic, regardless of how sophisticated we sometimes pretend we are: The look of it. While we’ve all enjoyed comics with questionable artwork, they’re never the ones we liked at first look. This one has the advantage of attractive artwork and skillful, elegant design.

      The approach is cinematic, which is generally the best way to handle a comic. A good comics artist is worth ten of the best cameramen - and they’re faaaar less expensive, too!

 Quite possibly a minor point, but something that caught my eye is that one comics convention is largely eschewed: There are almost no sound effects. Almost no onomatopoeia of any sort, despite guns being fired, and a solid fist to a face - all of them... visually silent. When a dog growls he gets a word balloon and says "RRRR," and that works well enough for me. The only times we get sound effects are in one scene where a phone rings (RING RING RING) and another when someone knocks at a door (KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK); two instances where there's no direct visual cue. I'll have to leave it to Matt & Jeremy to tell us whether this was simply a move of last resort, or if it had more to do with a stylistic approach to violent eruptions.

    We have a package that flows, a story that's intriguing, dialogue that's snappy and natural - except where it's pointedly meant to be peculiar - and a mystery that's compelling and rife with opportunity. We're stepping into the mystery with Chris Howells, finding out things largely as he does. Is this the uncovering of a secret layer of reality that's been there all along, or the dawning of a new one? Are there more than one, and they're at war with each other? Many interesting questions. While it's tempting to dig in and try to anticipate what's next I try to fight the impulse. So long as the story is entertaining and is being told well, my ego's not so fragile that I feel a need to compete with the storyteller. As of the end of issue #1 I'm content to let the story unfold and the nature of Chris Howell's universe reveal itself. It won't stop me from puzzling through some of the possible clues, though. I'm just doing it quietly for now.

      I can recommend it as one of the most promising items I've seen come, for all intents and purposes, out of nowhere. While I'm tempted to say in many ways it's like Kevin Smith taking attempting a screenplay and storyboards for Grant Morrison's The Invisibles, consulting with Neil Gaiman along the way, it's never quite fair to pigeon-hole new work that way. It's always best to go into a new work with a fresh mind, and if you do I believe you'll enjoy this a great deal. I've been reading comics for decades and I enjoyed it. My wife - not a comics reader - enjoyed it, too. We've been looking forward to issue no.2 ever since finishing no.1. (I was fortunate to come in at the right moment and so had the opportunity to read an early photocopy, so we've been waiting for issue #2 a lot longer than you'll have to.)

       Matt & Jeremy are committed to this project. They've worked long and hard to refine their work and get several issues ahead before putting this one on the market. They know what it's like as fans to take a chance on an independent series, and aren't going to let anyone down who comes aboard. The only thing they need now is an audience. Be a part of it.   Be sure to drop by their site to look for more details, updates, and maybe to leave them a note on their messageboard.

      Update: Positive reaction to this issue is coming in from various quarters, including The 4th Rail, where it was chosen as the pick of the week.

       Speaking of comments, feel free to drop me a line or leave any comments on this series on my messageboard.

                                                                                                                                   -Mike Norton