Reviewer: Will Cooling
Title: Crossing the Border Pt. 1 ~ Suffer the Children
Written by: Peter Milligan
Art by: Javier Pulido
Coloured by: Javier Rodriguez
Lettered by: Clem Robbins
Editor: Karen Berger
Publisher: Vertigo/DC Comics
The following review contains spoilers…
The immigrant is at the heart of the American Dream. The idea that a person from a far away line can come and succeed in the “Land of Opportunity†as they never did or could in their home confirms two fundamental maxims of American Nationalism. Firstly, that America is the only truly egalitarian society free of class, a place where everyone can succeed. Secondly, the idea that everyone outside of America really wants to live the American way of life. However, behind this iconic dream hides immigration controls right from the tightening the screw by Teddy Roosevelt in the 1900s, to current state immigration system of today. However, behind these immigration controls are the age-old hidden secret behind the American economy, migrant workers from Central America. Drawn by the American Dream, drawn by the relatively expensive and plentiful work and drawn by the chance of escaping the crime and chaos of their home countries.
Now how do these migrant workers get to America? Why they pay gangsters of course! Immigration and cheap labour fuel a toxic gangster culture, a culture that preys on the hopes of desperate people. It’s this culture that Milligan targets his acerbic eye on this month as we uncover what Mary White’s big secret was in Issue 11. It seems that far from being the ideal Hollywood wife she runs a people smuggling operation. However, there’s a difference. In true Robin Hood style she does it not for the money but to help those less fortunate. See, in true guilty Western liberal fashion, she’s heard a lot of stories about families separated when a parent went to work in the states. When they had earned enough money they would, through the family back home, send for the child using the same networks that had brought them to America. Sadly, often the children would be taken and put to other use. Hearing this, Mary White decided to set up her own operation. However, just as Chance finds out about it, it’s in the middle of a hostile take over bid…
Now, after the frankly barmy issue last month, this is more like it. Milligan takes a deliciously simple yet strangely perverse and twisted concept and plays it for its worth. He very simply and skilfully establishes the nature of the Mexican gangsters that Chance and White are up against with some chilling flashbacks to their education. In addition, the juxtaposing of the growing turf-war with the personal story of a little girl further emphasises what’s at stake here. Yet the focus of this story is Milligan’s perfect characterisation of White. She is really the classic guilty rich liberal, there’s a naïve idealism to her that has caused her to blunder into a situation waaay beyond her comprehension and bearing with her bravado and compassion both at times going past what she can actually deliver. Her partnership with the more world-weary and cynical Chance is brilliant, with his cynicism acting as both her counter-argument and guiding force. With a longer storyline to flesh this partnership this could get very interesting.
So what we have here is an excellent criminal espionage story laced with great characterisation and (for once) clearly identifiable characters some of which we are actually given cause to root for. Add to that Pulido’s as ever-excellent pop-art linework and design you have a deceptively simple but deliciously deep comic.
