Comments on: Air #1 Review

By: Tyson

Tyson — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:15:28 +0000

I loved Cairo – one of my favorite GNs of the last couple of years, so as soon as I heard about this I was sold.

I enjoyed it, but like many single issues that aren’t one-and-done, there’s not enough here for me to judge – it could turn out to be great, it could turn out to be terrible. It’s good enough so far to keep me coming back.

I like Perker’s art, but I actually liked it better in gray tones in Cairo than I do fully colored here. I think the coloring is a little too bright for how he pencils things.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:57:33 +0000

BKV’s Swamp Thing was a great book that was really kicking into gear at the point it was canceled.

By: mikesensei

mikesensei — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:55:24 +0000

Bought it because of the Gaiman blurb on the cover. I liked it enough to want to keep reading. The Gaiman blurb referenced Rushdie and Pynchon, which will turn off as many people as it will turn on. I’d say “Hitchcock” instead. Average Joe (well, Joan) gets caught up in international intrigue. I’m a sucker for this kind of comic, assuming it stays this well done.

By: s1rude

s1rude — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:23:06 +0000

I liked it. I didn’t have a problem with Perker’s art – I’ll have to go back and see if I notice the facial shortcuts mentioned here – even if it’s a little more rendered than I usually like.

The Narimar thing also didn’t jump out at me as a specific problem, but is an example of an overall “concern” I have – that being Wilson’s ability to sell the more fantastic elements of her story. Based on what’s in the issue, it seems like the country that doesn’t exist, the “importance” of Clearfleet Airlines, the battle for flight, etc could still come off as silly and not the strong literary devices they need to be in order for the story to have some import. Or maybe it’s just that air travel just doesn’t feel like a main front in the war on terror/freedom almost seven years after 9/11 and Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Georgia, etc taking center stage. The character work and sharp dialogue are definitely the immediate highlights of this single issue (Blythe and Zayn obviously, but I also liked her interactions with her male co-worker and the Etesian Front members we meet here).

I haven’t read Cairo – curious what those who have may think of the issue. I usually buy the first arc of new Vertigo series before deciding if I’ll continue on with the trades, so I’ll stick around for a while. And I’m probably more optimistic about the imprint lately (given the quality of this, Northlanders and Young Liars) than I have been in a quite a while.

By: TimCallahan

TimCallahan — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:50:29 +0000

I can’t get Air #1 until Monday, but is it possible that the postmark was from Narimar and that was supposed to be the shocker? Or maybe Perker was supposed to draw the postmark?

By: FunkyGreenJerusalem

FunkyGreenJerusalem — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:58:50 +0000

It hasn’t been fifteen years since The Minx has it?

(And thinking on it, there was Vaughn’s Swamp Thing, although I was the only person who thought – and still thinks – that was a good book).

By: Harold

Harold — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:57:09 +0000

Judding by the number of comments, not too many people have read the book.

The previews werent enough to make me buy it. If it gets good reviews, iÂ´ll buy the trade.

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:31:31 +0000

Thanks, Greg – that’s an odd typo on my part!

By: Greg Burgas

Greg Burgas — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:06:18 +0000

The second time you write Perker’s name, you write “Peter.” Then you do it again.

Anyway, I wasn’t terribly interested in this when I saw the first preview, but the second preview was much more interesting. And Wilson and Perker are a good team, so I’m curious to see what they do with it.