Reviewer: Tim Stevens
Story Title: State of Emergency
Written by: Brian K. Vaughan
Pencilled by: Tony Harris
Inked by: Tom Feister
Colored by: JD Mettler
Lettered by: Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Publisher: Wildstorm Comics
There seems to be two camps on this book: those that love it and those that could leave it. I am definitely in the former, but I think I know why the latter exists. The fact is, this book is not a superhero comic. Yes, at one point in his life, Mitchell Hundred was a superhero and yes we do see some of those moments in flashback. However, they are not the focus of the story. The focus is very much the day to day politics of being mayor of New York. Being a former superhero might add a few wrinkles to that task and Vaughan is exploring that, but first and foremost this is a story about politics. I happen to love politics and since my love of political stories and superhero stories can coexist, I love this book.
Vaughan continues to deepen his two primary plotlines: the killer targeting plow drivers while New York is experiencing a particularly hellacious winter and the Lincoln piece in the Brooklyn Museum of Art that just will not seem to go away. In the second plot, the newly promoted Journal Moore heads to the artist’s studio in an effort to convince Ms. Braving that pulling her piece is the right thing to do. While Moore shows a surprisingly acute grasp of the artist’s intentions, her attempts at diplomacy are hardly met with open arms.
Meanwhile, the NYPD and Hundred are scrambling to discern who might be behind the snow plow murders, without proclaiming the possibility of terrorism. When a photo from a security camera reveals a small portion of the killer’s body, Hundred is forced to consider his old friend Kremlin might be a little more connected to these events than anyone would have thought.
At this point, there is no much more I can say about this book that I have not already. Vaughan has a great grasp of local big city politics and is willing to show them in all their flashiness and monotony. The dialogue has a flow and rhythm that can be best described as “normal speech, but more interesting.” See also Sorkin, Mamet, and, in the industry, Bendis for similar stylings. The plot is not moving quickly, but a lot has been set up in these four issues. This issue feels like the story has reached the crest of a very large hill and I think it will become quickly apparent how much of importance has happened in these four issues without our entire awareness.
On the art side, the realistic approach of Harris continues to deliver. His work on the current day workings of the Hundred administration and the flashbacks of the Great Machine boast equal skill. It might have been difficult to convey interesting storytelling in a political comic, but you’d never know it from reading this issue. The art is never static, never bland.
Also, while I rarely, if ever, give shout out to colorists, (mostly due to my lack of knowledge on that sort of thing), I would be remiss not to mention what fine work Mettler is doing here. Whether it is the reds and oranges of a three alarm blaze, the light blue hue of the Great Machine flashbacks, the oversaturated yellows of Hundred’s office, or the aquamarine skies of a blizzard surrounded New York, Mettler nails each environment with a unique but suitable palette. I may not know much about coloring, but I know what works and Mettler has it here.
Four issues in this has joined the pantheon of books that I can hardly wait for the next issue after I finish the one in my hands. That counts double for this because, as I mentioned before, it feels like we have finally reached the top of the roller coaster.
