Voodoo
Child #1
created by Nicolas and Weston Cage
written by Mike Carey
art by Dean Ruben Hyrapiet
It's hard to tell exactly what powers the creature that
for now we shall dub Voodoo Child. Twice born in blood,
the boy once called Gabriel certainly makes an impression.
If that came toward me in a dark warehouse while I plotted
nefarious deeds, there would be a lot of panicking.
Because Voodoo Child has Mike Carey in his pedigree,
too, you'll find the book pretty readable and, let's assume,
accurate in its depiction of New Orleans yesterday and today.
The art by Dean Ruben Hyrapiet drips with gloom and makes
the darkness palpable. It's like a more controlled Stephen
Bissette.
The creative team has fashioned a tale
of vengeance across the ages, with a few mysteries thrown
in beyond that. Struck down as a boy, Voodoo Child has only
a hazy memory of the life he once led, and it doesn't seem
as if he has much control over his abilities, being more
reactive and instinctive than calculated. There's some potential
here; the character seems different from standard fare,
which has been a hallmark of Virgin Comics' efforts.
Unfortunately, the story really isn't particularly
gripping. Created by father and son Cages, it at least doesn't
immediately become a rote superhero story (and it speaks
well to their integrity and intention that there's no character
that could immediately be played by Nic). Instead, it wants
to expose us to elements of a culture here in America that
ostensibly exists but still feels hidden from the mainstream.
So far, though, all it does is play to stereotypical elements
that we already know, giving us one really bad-ass zombie.
Thumb through the book. Hyrapiet's art might very well suck
you in, and if that's what you look for in a comic, it's
a solid enough reason. The overall arc, too, will probably
pay off. After all, Carey has one heck of a track record.
I just wanted to be more surprised and, honestly, thrilled
by what I got with this first issue. Instead, it's a lot
of quirk without a lot of substance. Insert your own snarky
comment about Nicolas Cage here.
Hey,
write to us and let us know what you think, or talk about
it on the forums!
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