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Cemetery Beach #1
Publisher: Image Comics
Story: Warren Ellis
Artist: Jason Howard
Letters: Fonografiks
Cover: Jason Howard

Force Reconnaissance Marine Michael Blackburn is in a jam. The man had the unfortunate duty of being thrust into an expeditionary mission on a secretive off-world colony without a stitch of support. After completing his initial landing and recon, Blackburn is captured and transported to a secure facility for interrogation. Hardly one to take the situation lying down, he turns the tables on his captors. During his raucous escape Blackburn liberates fellow detainee Grace Moody, evidently incarcerated for self proclaimed “murderous shit.” As an interloper from “oldhome,” Blackburn is sorely lacking in field intelligence and enlists his new partner’s aid in getting back to his evacuation point.

Cemetery Beach #1 opens with one of the most amusing interrogation sequences I have encountered in entertainment. Not because it is a novel approach; I have seen similarly predictable exchanges in comics, film, and television before. What makes Ellis’ take on this kind of material stand out is how immediately accessible and unpretentious it is. And the realization that it is wholly within the characters that these qualities materialize. There is zero ambiguity in his creations about who and what they are within their domains.

Anyone who has read my previous reviews may know how much I appreciate layered, or even tortured characters that one can accompany on a journey. My ability to connect to any character is often dependent on how much they have or are willing to suffer and sacrifice in service of their ends. Motivations like redemption, self discovery, and retribution all lead to a manner of catharsis that can be supremely gratifying to experience along with a character. What Ellis has managed to do here is elicit a surprisingly resolute investment without that promise, right from the first page. That’s a powerful proposition, and an edifying experience for me as a writer.

This team has crafted a rapaciously choreographed narrative that somehow doesn’t feel hurried or truncated. The characters are brash, humorous, and extremely likable. Ellison manages a breathtaking economy of words considering how many pages have not a single line of written dialogue. I would be remiss to neglect the tremendously talented Jason Howard. His art is fiercely evocative, immersing the reader in a familiar, even derivative alien world. One that is still eerily cryptic and unpredictable for all its traceable commonality. His work is finely textured, though the colors are muted and the palette is dramatically narrowed, establishing a gripping pulp noir aesthetic.

Cemetery Beach #1 is an exceptionally lean and aggressive feat of storytelling from a prolific duo. They are obviously having a blast, consumed in their element, and their ability to transport and engage the reader within this framework is truly impressive. I went into this read with high expectations and, while somewhat surprised by the swift and energetic escalation of events, I came away more than satisfied.

Christian Davenport
cable201@comicattack.net