What if you’re in such a terrible situation that there are no “good” choices? Only “less bad” ones?
That’s the premise behind the fascinating new miniseries called Drexler, where a group of people must enlist the aid of someone considered bad to eliminate something worse.
Here’s what I thought of it!
DREXLER #1 of 3
Writer: Bob Salley
Artist: Nathan Kelley
Colorist: Don Mathias
Letterer: HdE
Published by: Feral Kingdom Studios
Cover price: $5.00
SOLICITATION: A small town will unleash a monster to save them from something worse…
SOMETIMES THERE ARE NO ‘GOOD’ WAYS OUT
Here’s a little more information on the miniseries from their recently completed Kickstarter campaign: “Drexler is a Sci-Fi tale that follows Erron Drexler, a soldier of fortune, returning to his small-town roots to investigate a string of monstrous slayings despite being considered a monster himself (by his childhood community) for events that transpired in his youth… events that he has been running from ever since… not to mention running afoul of a major arms dealer in search of a doomsday weapon and a score to settle…”
You know the old phrase, “no good deed goes unpunished?” Well, in Drexler, you might say it’s more like “no good hero is anywhere to be found.” And that’s unique in comics!
I’ve long been a fan of Mr. Salley’s writing, including his Salvagers books. He always develops characters that are relatable and understandable with just a touch of mystery to them. Drexler is just such a person.
Recruited to help out his hometown, Drexler has just the skills they need… but not necessarily the attitude or intent.
Bob writes gripping dialogue that often tells us what we need to know while hinting what’s taking place behind the curtain. For instance, at one point, a townsperson says to Cara, a local authority, “This village is supposed to be clean. Nothing but humans.” She responds, “Who’s to say this is alien activity.” Right away, my interest is piqued, and I need to know just what’s going on here!
Drexler seems to be able to disassemble and “beam” himself to another location, often leaving something behind that will end whatever threat that was there. Not a bad ability to have, especially for someone who cleans up messes for a living. He can sneak into a location without detection, as happens when he meets up with his sister in a local bar. It’s a great skill if you can get it!
Lots of action, dialogue that propels the story along and a big surprise on the final page – I do enjoy it when Mr. Salley gets a story going strong!
COMIC ART THAT BREATHES MYSTERY
Nathan Kelly’s art is cohesive and dynamic, but action is only one of the things he does well. I also enjoy his ability to show facial expressions, such as Drexler and his sister. He shows us what we need to know right away, and it pulls us into the book immediately.
I particularly was gripped by the sequence when humans were being attacked by the menace. I winced a lot, as the danger felt very real!
The colors are on target when it comes to communicating mood and danger. Lots of dark tones when the story needs it, while bright colors are held in reserve for best effect. Nicely done!
BOTTOM LINE: Sci-Fi Terror the Way Comics Do It Best
A note to the parents among us – There are some “adult” words here and there as well as some graphic illustrations, so this book is NOT for the very young. Please take note of that!
This book will be available soon on Comixology, so keep an eye out for it. I bet if you find Bob or Nathan at a convention somewhere, they’ll have paper copies available… or can tell you how to get them.
It’s a great tale of horror with a personal touch, so I’m looking forward to the next issue… and the conclusion after that! Highly recommended!
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Wayne Hall creates the Wayne's Comics Podcast. He’s interviewed Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, John Layman, Kyle Higgins, Phil Hester, Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray, David Petersen, Christos Gage, Mike Grell, and Matt Kindt. On this site each week, he writes his "Comics Portal" column (general comics comments and previews) and reviews comics.