Jon Sable, Freelance: Bloodtrail #1 Review

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Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: Bloodtrail: Part One

Written by: Mike Grell
Art by: Mike Grell
Colored by: Lovern Kindzerski
Lettered by: John Workman
Editor: Mike Gold
Publisher: IDW Publishing

Reviewing the first issue of a new Jon Sable miniseries is an absolute pleasure. Mike Grell has been my favorite comic creator for a long time. The past few years have been rather bland without any ongoing work from Mr. Grell. The last regular taste was Grell’s all-too-brief run on Iron Man which ended in early 2003. Even worse, Jon Sable hadn’t appeared in his own comic series under the practiced hand of Grell since the late ‘80s. Ever since the announcement in September of last year about the new Jon Sable series I’ve been chomping at the bit. Thankfully, that chomping can now end!

If you’re new to Jon Sable, here are the necessary bits of data. Sable is a former Olympic athlete that has become one of the world’s top mercenary/bounty hunters. He is haunted by a tragic past in which his family was killed by poachers in Africa. Since their deaths Jon Sable has been a hollow shell of what he used to be. An interesting twist has Sable sideline as a writer of children’s books under the pen name of B.B. Flemm. Sable was able to emerge somewhat from the despair over his family’s death during a relationship with his illustrator Myke. Still, Sable doesn’t really live any longer, he just exists. It’s always been one hell of an exciting existence for readers, though. Thankfully, even with a rather-long hiatus, that has not changed a bit!

Mike Grell drops us into the first issue of the new miniseries quickly. We are introduced to the dark side of New York City and the attempts by a Russian gangster to sway the testimony of an informer by kidnapping his daughter. Jon Sable crashes into the hideout (quite literally) and frees the girl. The introduction is an absolutely spectacular action sequence. We see Jon Sable at his best. He cheats death, kicks ass, and saves the day. Unfortunately, when the action’s over Sable’s demons reemerge.

Grell doesn’t waste time in the debut issue. We move forward into the deeper portions of the plot in short order and are re-introduced to supporting cast members. Much of the first issue is setup for the rest of the miniseries, as well as catch-up for what has gone on since we last saw Jon Sable and co. The ensuing years have not been kind to our hero. We learn that Sable’s book sales are being hammered by Harry Potter. His relationship with Myke is on the skids. Plus, there’s political intrigue, with ties to Sable’s past, surrounding a proposed African Confederation. It appears Bloodtrail won’t be a picnic. Our hero truly has his work cut out for him during the course of this story.

The book isn’t perfect. There are a few points where I’m not straight on continuity. The biggest problem was a scene with Sable being picked up from a holding cell at police headquarters by his friend Sonny Pratt. The following scene seems to show the beginnings of Sable’s Freelance operations, but also alludes to the past. It’s a rather small complaint and does not detract from the story at all.

Artistically speaking, Mike Grell has produced a beautiful book with countless small details. The reintroduction of Sable is a fast-paced, page-turner that never once leaves the reader confused. Grell uses the aftermath of that sequence to show Sable’s tragic past and link to the current plot. The remainder of the comic features substantial dialogue and narration, but never once does the artwork fail to convey the story. Grell’s artwork is especially strong at bringing out nuances that can easily be missed if you don’t spend the time to savor the story. Mike Grell’s artistry has made Jon Sable, Freelance: Bloodtrail a book in which you will continue to notice new details every time you read.

This comic ends up being the opening salvo of a rather ambitious storyline. This seems more like a film than a comic book. Grell has started with action, begun to set the stage, and introduced his players. There’s still a lot of story left to tell. This is a very good start! Will the book be great? We’ll know in the next couple of months.