posted
In the "Any Recommendations?" thread, several of us have praised BOOM studios new title "Unknown" by Mark Waid and I figured it could use its own title. Out of all of BOOM's comics thus far, this one is the best IMO and the one I'm following most closely. I've been reading Waid's comics for like 20 years by this point and I've both loved them at times and strongly disliked them at other. Here, I think he's doing what he does best.
Like he did with Ruse at Crossgen a few years back, Waid is providing a strong lead in a detective set-up but also against a very quirky background and ongoing theme. The lead character and her partner are both likeable thus far and I like the interaction there.
Waid does a good job at building tension and I think this was more apparent in #2, which was better than #1 even (haven't gotten to #3 yet). The scene on the train with the ghost/creature turning people to dust was very horrific and I was reminded a bit of the dementors from Harry Potter but taken to a more horrific level (I'm sure that must have been a partial inspiration, its just too similar).
The ending of #2 was also quite good. Characters being delusion has been done quite a bit before this and so the twist makes that whole subplot seem MUCH more interesting; now I have a reason to look forward to #3 and see what thats all about.
The art is also really excellent. There is a certain amount of clevege each issue too which is distracting at times (but sometimes in a good way )
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Since there's a second series in the works, Cat probably survives this adventure. I'd be glad for it to continue for a while, since her overarching investigation of life after death seems too big for a four-issue exploration.
Cat Allingham is also the sort of character who could have a few backstories in her, if Waid wanted to explore some of the cases which established her as a great detective. I would really prefer back stories to having her find a miraculous cure. Even though I like the character, a lot of her force comes from her race against death and the way she is accepting her earthly demise, but trying to get prepared for what comes after.
She is somewhat Holmes-like with her quick deductions and her seeming distractedness. Doyle is no Watson, though - he's a sharper tack.
posted
Finished the first mini with #4 and just began the second mini with the release of #1. And I'm still hooked, as the overall series continues to get better and better and the characters more likeable.
Two things stand out for me: the first is that Waid is doing a really ingenius job establishing strong mysteries and drawing the reader in. I like that characterization is there throughout the series, but it takes a passenger seat to the overall mystery as the driving force. That's a welcome return to classical comics story-telling.
Second, the artwork is really terrific. Its so good that I find myself slowing down while I'm reading to take it all in. Not only are the characters incredibly attractive, but the backgrounds are strong, the facial expressions add a little extra and the movement keeps things exciting. And the inks are very dark, keeping the suspense present in the down scenes even.
The end to #1 of the second mini was a shocker and I'm curious to see how it will be resolved and if we saw what we actually think we saw. Great opening issue to the second miniseries. I hope Unknown continues in this way, with a new 4-6 issue mini following up another as if it were an ongoing.
Also very interesting is if we'll get some sort of explanation for how Cat is alive and well a year later; this isn't out of the ordinary in regular life, but I figure there's got to be a story there since this is a comic book.
Still reading FC?
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Updated: up to #3 (of 4) on the second mini. I hope FC and some others are still reading. Because this is a damn good series.
The first Unknown miniseries was terrific, but this second one has taken the level of quality one step further. I think I can say with some confidence this is the best Mark Waid series in years and I hope he has a never ending stream of miniseries ahead. The fact that these are 4-issue mysteries also works really well for me.
The most noticably intriguing thing of the second mini is the overall plot / mystery, which we finally learn the majority of in #3. And its actually pretty fantastic and really good--it caught me by surprise, is pretty original and also ties into the entire motivation of the Katherine Allingham's (lead character) motivation for the entire series.
The best part of #3 is a spoiler so essential to the series that I can't really talk about it other than saying if you read the issue, you'll know what I mean. I won't even put it in spoilers because I want people to support the series and find out for themselves.
The artwork by Minck Ooosterveer is also really phenomenal--dark and shadowy but with vibrant inks and attractive characters. Obviously all the leads are really good-looking but that adds rather than subtracts from the story.
Katherine, the lead, is a great lead character. She's smart and courageous but Waid doesn't dwell on any of that and puts her right in scary situations. He also makes sure to show the reader her thought process either while its happening or basically right after so we can see just how crafty she is (rather than saying :'wow, she's so crafy!').
Unknown is what I consider the very best strait-forward mystery/detective comic on the market right now. Its not a 'crime' comic like Criminal or Powers, but rather a genuine detective story in the vein of Sherlock Holmes but with a modern David Finsh-esque feel to it. The twists and turns are really great and Waid keeps you guessing all the way through. The surprises are genuinely surprising but make sense in the larger context of what the character is all about. Great, great series.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
The news hit today that Minck Oosterveer, artist on this series and frequent Mark Waid collaborator (he also did the recent Ruse mini) passed away after a tragic motorcycle accident. He was only 50 and had 2 kids.
As shown I above and in the Ruse thread, I thought he was a fantastic artist. Really sorry to hear this.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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