Man of God #1
Reviewed by Brant W. Fowler
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Created/Written: Craig Partin
Pencils by: Yvel Guitchet
Inks by: Stuart Berryhill
Letters & Production by: Jonathan Swinney
Published by: Pinwheel Press
Pages: 36, No Ads
Price: $3.50
Rating: Mature Audiences
Promotional Blurb:
Written by Craig Partin, penciled by industry vet Yvel Guichet (DC, Valiant, Dark Horse), inks by Stu Berryhill and lettered by Jonathan Swinney. Each issue will ship to retailers with two covers, one by Guichet and one by Dan Brereton (The Nocturnals). Man of God is a supernatural horror mystery set over the backdrop of a brewing mob war. A dark, often violent, tale of redemption and the quest for the truth. Filled with deep complex characters and razor sharp twists and turns, each issue promises to leave you wanting more.
The Review:
Man of God is the first offering from Pinwheel Press, and what an offering it is.
The lead character, John Morris was a Lutheran priest until a fire transformed him into a scarred man with the ability to see the truth behind the masks we wear every day. The depth and complexities of his character and internal insight plays out like a classic tragical tale of a tortured soul. Unlike those classic tales, though, Morris isn't transformed in some twist of karma paying him back for past sins, at least not that we know of at this point. He is simply changed, and his former mission of saving souls heightened to the supernatural.
Partin's story itself is dark in that we see the lives behind the lives of those Morris comes in contact with. As he interacts with them, their pasts are revealed both to him and themselves, with some interesting results. But there's more to this story than simply a man changed and given abilities. There are elements at play in the background that will seemingly explain Morris' transformation and the reasons behind it before all is said and done. We're talking mob aspects, international mysteries and EC like horror all rolled into one fine beginning to this tale.
The art is spectacular, and no wonder coming from Guichet, who is known for his horror work among other things. The lines are near perfect, and the perspective of various scenes really add to the drama of the moment. His characters each look completely different, each with their own mannerisms and emotional responses, which really go a long way in conveying the senses and feelings behind each scene. Berryhill's inks should not be underplayed here, either, as they add a very stark and moody element to the book without ever overbearing the art underneath. There's also a neat trick the art team did with flashes of memory. Being a black & white book, some tricks that colored books can pull off can't be done here. So they improvised by making a consistent pattern of smaller panels for the flashbacks, which they also faded or grayed out just enough to get the point across. It's a very simple, yet very impressive method.
Even the lettering in this book is solid. There's a little room for growth and perfection, and a few little tricks that will be learned down the road. But for the most part, the lettering is well shaped, very well placed, and hardly ever gets in the way of the art. You shouldn't notice the dialogue, or rather it should never stand out as the art is the focus. That's the mark of good lettering when it enhances the story as opposed to fighting for attention on the page. Swinney managed to enhance the story with his lettering here.
There are some mature scenes in this book, and for the most part I'm of the opinion that nudity and swearing isn't needed to get a point across in any type of creative medium. However, there are instances where both are used in ways that do add to the story in a way that sets the tone and mood. The scenes in this book are used as just that. They are not gratuitous or played up for any selling point in the least. Rather, they are used to get the point across in certain vile situations.
Overall, I found this title quite enjoyable with a little bit of something for everyone. Horror fans will certainly want to check this out, and general fans are sure to find something to hook them as well.
Man of God is in the March issue of PREVIEWS for products shipping in May 2012. I believe the issue will debut at C2E2 with a convention exclusive cover unless that information has changed. Here's some press they have already received on the book:
"To Yvel and the Mog Team - First and foremost, this is a very powerful beginning for a new series. Thanks to the Super Strong Storytelling of Yvel Guichet with excellent crisp inking by Stu BerryHill. Of course, we have Craig Partin to thank for the intriguing script. I love the element of the Man of God's touch to see what each character is hiding underneath their normal or reserved behavior. And for the most part, it's not pretty. The Death of John Morris is off to a good start. Keep it up... Super Star."
Winston Blakely
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"Thanks for letting me read the first issue of, "Man of God." I was fortunate enough to work with Yvel Guichet on what I believe was his first professional comic book work--Eternal Warrior #4 at Valiant Comics. I watched him grow from being an incredibly talented newcomer to being a seasoned storyteller with a great sense of dynamism and mood. I think he and Craig are doing a wonderful job in setting up the story--giving us just enough information to keep us excited about where the story will go. A dark and moody book that makes for a fun read!"
Kevin VanHook
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"A story about a Man of God who is transformed into an instrument of... vengeance? Redemption? Both? The richly detailed and darkly evocative art of Yvel Guichet is perfect for this tale by Craig Partin that mixes equal parts of mystery, iniquity and tragedy."
JayJay Jackson
Learn more on their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/manofgodcomic
Reviewer Bio
Brant W. Fowler / Writer, Letterer, Reviewer, Columnist, Podcaster, Partner/COO/Site Manager of Comic Related
Brant W. Fowler has been a professional comic book writer, editor, flatter, letterer and logo designer for several years, and has been a freelance editor for the past five years or so. He is one of the cast members and host of the Zone 4 podcast here at Comic Related, and he letters some of the webcomics on the site. You can see samples of his works and how to hire him at Gonzogoose
Design and Just-Flats.net. And catch up with him on his forums right here at CR. Brant is also a member of the core
operations team at Comic Related.
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