Pulp noir… Criminal masterminds… The strange, secret underworlds of Paris… This one has it all! Your Major Spoilers review of Doctor Radar #1 awaits!
DOCTOR RADAR #1
Writer: Noel Simsolo
Artist: Bezian
Letterer: Steve Wands
Editor: Jonathan Stevenson
Publisher: Titan Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in Doctor Radar: “Paris 1920. A gentleman detective plays a deadly game with a criminal mastermind, Doctor Radar, while investigating a series of horrific deaths! An atmospheric masterpiece perfect for fans of pulp noir and deadly criminal masterminds!”
DU FRANÇAIS ORIGINAL
Originally presented in France circa 2014, this story is one that immediately caught my eye. Not only does it have a killer title, but a glance at the art will reveal something truly extraordinary. The art is expressive and impressionistic, featuring expert use of blacks and motion lines and somehow looking effortless while making it clear that a great deal of work went into every page. The titular Doctor Radar is a mysterious criminal mastermind whose modus operandi includes complicate murder scenarios, including an injection of curare, and for some reason has been targeting scientists focusing on space travel. At the same time, two colleagues of the missing scientists begin following the strange series of leads and events that he is masterminding…
STARK AND FASCINATING
I’ve mentioned that the art is phenomenal in these pages, but the use of color is likewise amazing, with bright yellows indicating indoor settings under sodium lamps, deep blues for night, oranges for firelight and more. The c colors suffuse every page, and it’s a marvel to behold. Since this is a future release, I don’t want to give away too much about the mystery at the heart of the story, but it, too, is fascinating. The only difficulty I had was in being certain immediately of which characters were speaking in certain scenes (which is due to the primitivism of the art, though I can’t so much call it a flaw as a side-effect of the style), but the scripting clarified most of those situations quickly. The issue ends with a cliffhanger moment so perfectly stylish and French that I felt like I could almost speak the language myself.
Ashley will tell you, I cannot…
THE BOTTOM LINE: EXPRESSIVE AND ENGAGING
Given that all I knew going in was that the story was originally presented in French and that the title was amazing, Doctor Radar #1 was a pleasant surprise for me, featuring excellent art, a complex and layered tale full of ambiguity and style, earning 4 out of 5 stars overall. The coloring alone makes this one worth the price of admission, which is not something that I will often say about a comic book reading experience…
Doctor Radar #1 goes on sale 11/22.
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