Dial H has been a whacky and wild ride thus far. Remembered mostly for its wacky premise of having a telephone with which one could dial H-E-R-O and instantly become a random super hero, one that often had very silly or seemingly useless powers. Now its been re-booted and has just finished its first arc. Read more after the jump!
DIAL H #5
Writer: China Mielville
Artist: Mateus Santolouco
Cover: Brian Bolland
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
Previously in Dial H: Nelson Jent, an out of shape dead beat with a bad smoking habit, discovers a magical dial that can transform him into a random super hero. He is discovered by an older “dialer” and together they try and fight off the evil Ex Nihilo and her alien lizard-man friend, Squid. But the dialers are too late, Ex Nihilo manages to summon Abyss, a being of pure nothingness that consumes everything around itself.
CAN’T WAIT TO CALL BACK
This issue of Dial H continues on the same level of wackiness the readers have come to expect. China Mielville is a very unique writer, possessing a rare level of almost insane creativity, some ideas as far out there and crazy as those of Grant Morrison and Alan Moore. He turns what was once a simple story about a boy becoming a superhero with his magic phone into a dimension spanning fight for our very existence. Its crazy and I love every minute of it. It’s truly an experience every time I sit down to read an issue of Dial H. One thing Mielville seems to have trouble with is dialogue, it just feels awkward and often never feels like it flows. Which I guess is meant to replicate real life, but just ends up leaving for a re-read or two before moving on to the next page.
WANTS TO BE SEEN, NOT JUST HEARD
The art in Dial H is absolutely fantastic. With every hero (of which there are a lot) comes a whole new and unique design. These designs are like visual presents, each one looking like it deserves its very own comic. Unfortunately most heroes only last a few pages, at which point they are discarded like used napkins. There is also a great use of heavy inking and darker, broader strokes which all add up to a very dark and fantastical vibe, one that makes the reader feel like these forces on the pages should not be taken lightly. Dial H is one of those fantastic comics that does not have its protagonist fit the typical body builder type we see in most comic book heroes these days. Instead it uses a nice, relatable fat man. A choice that is wonderfully conveyed and used by Sontolouco to help express various emotional states. Something he is excellent at.
BOTTOM LINE: PICK UP THE PHONE
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Dial H is not to be missed. Its only five issues in, so catch up and read this excellent tale!
[rating: 4.5/5]DID YOU READ THIS ISSUE? RATE IT!
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2 Comments
I agree that Mielville is shaping up to be the next Grant Morrison. At least as far as the wacked out, insane imagery goes. And personally I love when a story gets rich with the weird.
Here’s to Dial H lasting longer than OMAC, the other New 52 title I loved that only lasted eight issues. And even then had to follow up the story in other books because of all the loose ends frayed around.
This is the book that always ends up at the top of my buy pile. Love it!