Reviewer: Mathan “I think Chucky’s coming back†Erhardt
Story Title: Wylie Runs the Voodoo Down
Written by: Brian Azzarello
Penciled and Inked by: Eduardo Risso
Colored by: Patricia Mulvihill
Lettered by: Clem Robins & Jon Paden
Cover by: Dave Johnson
Editor: Will Dennis
Publisher: Vertigo DC Comics
In order to catch you up Agent Graves has a beef with his former employers. Graves and his team are supposed to be dead, but they’ve just been deactivated. So Graves has traveled around the country reactivating his sleeper agents. The catch is he gives them a briefcase with a gun, 100 bullets of untraceable ammo, a picture and proof positive that the face on that picture affected their life in a negative way. A while ago Graves visited Wylie Times and gave him the briefcase with the familiar face of Mr. Shepard, a known associate of Graves.
This issue begins with Wylie remembering his encounter with Agent Graves. Wylie is reluctant to accept the briefcase, but when Graves shows him a picture of a woman Wylie’s attitude changes.
Wylie ends up in New Orleans and eventually ventures into a bar. Once there he encounters some colorful characters; Ronnie the bartender, Marty the disfigured trumpet playing gofer, Harry the obnoxious owner of the bar, April, Harry’s girlfriend and Warren a guy who obviously means bad news.
Wylie does his best to mind his business but he has confrontations with Marty and Warren, and witnesses Harry’s cruelty. Still Wylie does his best to drink away whatever misery Graves dragged up. Later a drunken Wylie stumbles into a graveyard and upon a grave with a familiar name. And that is when Dizzy and Mr. Shepard show up.
From that point we flash forward to the present where a drastically altered Wylie offers last requests to a familiar character. To be continued.
As with most Azzarello written issues of any book, I haven’t read this issue enough to catch everything. I’m sure I’ll read this issue again after #52 comes out to find some stuff that I missed and also after #53. But Azz has used the lapse of time to tell a captivating story. As usual all the characters read real, and you want to know more. But Azz always leaves you wanting more, and analyzing and scrutinizing every word.
Most of the issue takes place in a bar, but Risso makes that bar, while not crowded, busy. There is a lot of action going on in nearly every page. He also uses Wylie’s look as a visual cue to which events take place before others. It’s a great trick that makes the issue a must read multiple times. Mulvihill’s colors also serve as a cue for time. The sunset at the beginning colors the world beautifully, and the flashback of Graves is nicely muted. Plus there are tons of neon signs in this issue and they really stand out.
Robins and Paden do some stupendous lettering. From the neon signs, to the sidewalk signs, to gravestones, to traffic signs, there is plenty of lettering in this issue. And their contribution makes the issue seem that much more real. And of course everyone will be trying to figure out why some words in the dialogue are emphasized. Great job to all.
