EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a bit of a rush, as the announcement for this book slipped under my radar and was only recently (today) brought to my attention. I read it, liked the storytelling, liked the art, was intrigued by the concept, and wanted to learn the answers to the questions it raised. If you want to check out Issue #1, you’ll need to contact your local comic shop — as the final cutoff date for orders is tomorrow, January 7. I have a feeling that most shops didn’t order huge quantities of this book — so don’t take a chance on picking it up later, unless you’re a compulsive gambler. Better act now.
WYRD #1 (Dark Horse Comics, January 30 release date) Curt Pires, story. Antonio Fuso, art. Stefano Simeone, colors. Micah Myers, letters.
An advance pdf review copy of Wyrd #1 showed up in my in-box today along with some background information and an invitation to check it out.
The Dark Horse promotional info describes it as “James Bond meets the X-Files”, which got my attention. Who doesn’t enjoy those two franchises? The author went a little further, calling it “James Bond meets Hellblazer (back when it was good).”
Now I”m really interested. I love weird detective stories, a la John Constantine/Hellblazer, B.P.R.D, and others. In fact the last really good story I read in this genre was actually called Weird Detective - a nice bit of noir, pop culture, and Lovecraftian mythos thrown into a blender by writer Fred Van Lente. (Coincidentally, Dark Horse published Weird Detective.)
Hey, the main character’s last name is Wyrd. Wouldn’t you pronounce that as “weird”? Of course, it could be a funny way to indicate “word” or “werd”. He’s very intelligent but not that wordy, so I don’t think that’s it. And werd is just a funny pronounciation, but doesnt’ exist in my pocket English dictionary.
There’s a definite nourish, cinematic feel to this book which the shading and choice of colors helps to enhance. It’s fun to look at, so I”m going to highlight that before addressing the writing.
Artist Antonio Fuso’s work reminds me of Jock’s style in all the right ways. His cityscapes, street scenes and vehicles have a realistic, rotoscoped look to them. Where he really excels is in the action sequences. Fuso is able to cram a lot of movement into a single page by use of small horizontal panels and silhouettes. His action scenes recall the style of Wes Craig on Deadly Class. They are fun to view.
The first four pages of Issue #1 open up with text free panels detailing a choreographed dive from an overpass into present-day Los Angeles traffic. It’s our first introduction to Pitor Wyrd (Peter, I guess - -allegedly American, but the spelling of his name sure has an Eastern European flavor), who’s apparently suicidal but also unbreakable.
In clever fashion, scattered within the accident sequence are very small inset panels that illustrate the specific bones being broken. Yet, Wyrd stands up and walks away from injury. The promotional material refers to his being immortal, but that’s not detailed within the story. Although, I may have mistakenly assumed his statement that “I don’t break” was just an arrogant boast.
He is a bit of a smug smart ass, albeit in a semi-charming sort of way. His interactions with the other characters throughout the story go a long way towards understanding his nature and attitudes. The dialogue is snappy and revealing. We learn even more about Wyrd through his activities. He likes his cigarettes and booze, and neither are very far from his person.
Wyrd is for hire. For the modest fee of a suitcase full of money, he takes on some edgy government assignments. There’s a bio weapon in Crimea that needs to be disabled. Readers don’t learn much about this until the actual battle between Wyrd and a hulking monstrosity, the victim of efforts to duplicate the super-soldier serum that birthed Captain you-know-who. I love the way that Pires and Fuso tell the backstory of the threat through small flashback panels inserted within the battle pages. The villain says about as much as a rampaging green monstrosity would, but more succinct is his calling Wyrd “a ghost in a man suit.”
The issue ends with a short, but heartwarming conversation in 1942 between a couple considering whether to bring an unborn child into the world. They decide that would be “alright", and we can only assume they are referring to Pitor Wyrd, who looks pretty young and spry for someone who should be around 77-years-old.
I definitely want to learn more. Wyrd is planned as an initial four-issue mini-series. Based on this, I have a good feeling about this and recommend you pick it up. Don’t forget to call your comic shop tomorrow to reserve your copy.
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