Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Talon #0 - Review


What a fantastic idea for a new comic book series as well as a new character in the DC Universe. DC's new on-going comic "Talon," beginning in their Zero Month promotion, follows Calvin Rose. Calvin is a new face that fits snugly into the brilliant mythology Scott Snyder created with his massive, eleven-issue story arc about the harrowing Court of Owls that kick-started The New 52's Batman. Scott Snyder is back to help co-plot this new book with writer James Tynion IV, and I have to say, what a brilliant first issue.

Talon #0 gives us a very compelling and intriguing origin for Calvin Rose. He is a kid who ran away from an abusive father (a fact revealed to us in a rather brutal opener), eventually picked up by the Court of Owls, whom are impressed by the escape-art skills he has amassed since he left his home. They have him killing innocent people; evil acts they hide as just the opposite. In an effective panel revealing a particular assassin target, he decides that he must fight against, and separate himself from, the Court. We have our set-up.

Tynion and Snyder very smartly interlock all of the pieces of Rose's character. His upbringing, his indoctrination into the Court, even the very skills that the Court chose him for, boil down to one action - escaping. It's awesome. He's a clearly defined character and an easy one to get behind; a man trapped doing things he learns is vile, using the very skills they employed him for to escape the evil and attempt to stop it. I like Calvin.

The artwork isn't incredibly memorable, but it's not really a problem. Guillem March's scribbles tell the story well, with appropriate expression and detail. It puts the focus on the writing and the narrative, which is fine.

I had a lot of fun with Talon #0. Calvin Rose is a very cool character that I really want to keep my eye on. His origin is very concise and focused, and if future issues have that same approach, we'll have a really compelling book on our hands. This issue, at least, is quite rad.

No comments:

Post a Comment