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BLUE ESTATE #2
Story: Viktor Kalvachev, Kosta Yanev & Andrew Osborne/Art: Victor Kalvachev, Toby Cypress, Nathan Fox & Robert Valley

 

Review Information

Reviewer: Lee Stone
Review Date: May 2011

Comic Information

Publisher: Image Comics

9.0

out of 10

 

 The cover to the second issue of BLUE ESTATE gets it right. "Never Dull" pretty much sums it up. This is about as stylish and complex as any Quentin Tarantino film. 

 In the comic we meet our cast of characters already moving forward along their individual paths - Rachel, a Los Angeles starlet with a secret, Johnny, an Alcoholics Anonymous supporter, with a secret, and Billy, a realtor with... you guessed it... a secret. How these separate worlds will intertwine is the most interesting part of the story. 

 There's not really much I can say about the comic without giving away what happens. Each character takes one more step towards what is sure to be a major event that will involve them all. Rachel is very likeable, coming across as both vulnerable and strong at the same time. Johnny is mysterious and I'm sure he's planning something. Meanwhile, Billy is shown to have plans of his own. Each one of them has something real that pushes them on and keeps them motivated. You just know that the end result of their journeys could be either joyful or tragic. And in this story, you can sense tragedy just hanging around the corner. 

 One of the amazing things about this book is that even though it reads very smooth and was quite entertaining, I was surprised to discover that it wasn't by one writer and one artist. This comic boasts three writers and four artists, with Viktor Kalvachev handling some of both duties. In effect, I would have to say that the real star here would be Philo Northrop, the editor. I'm sure he played a big part in meshing all these different creators together into a cohesive whole. Everything, from the cool cover to the gritty landscape and settings just clicks. The true test will be to see how the collective crew will bring this tale to a satisfying ending. 

 The only negative thing I can really find is that this is one of those comics that would read even better in a collection without the pause each month. Especially being a mini-series. I really don't see people picking up the third and fourth issues unless they already have read the first two. Hopefully, a quick glance will entice them to either get caught up or pick up the trade paperback when it comes out.  

 Crime fiction is hardly a new genre in comics. However, for every 100 BULLETS and CRIMINAL out there you will find a countless number of titles that just don't get it right. Sometimes it's from a lack of substance, sometimes it's a lack of style. BLUE ESTATE succeeds at both and would probably give any VERTIGO CRIME novel a run for its money. Highly recommended.






 
 



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