Hip Flask. Unnatural Selection. Richard Starkings (Writer), Joe Casey (Writer), Landronn (Artist). Active Images (2003)

A fantastic concept, luscious art and brilliant execution make this book a superb comic and outstanding science fiction. In 2218 Dr. Nikken is involved in creating human animal hybrids and having failed to do so successfully using an artificial womb uses living women instead. The monstrous hybrids are trained to be violent soldiers, an army in the service of MAPPO. They have a human intelligence and stance with the heads and other features of the animal they were crossed with. The MAPPO base in North Africa is stormed by UN troops and Dr. Nikken is arrested after a fierce resistance by the hybrids. The hybrids are escorted from the site and in a flash forward at the end of the book appear to be integrated into society and referred to as Elephantmen. The book is a set up for a continuing series called Elephantmen.

This book takes the unlimited capacity of comics to describe and explore fantastic ideas and really embraces it, this is top flight science fiction. The opening pages where Dr.Nikken is introduced and his appalling plans are revealed is both wonderfully economical and savagely informative. The art conveys the scale of his ambition in the vast industrial process he in involved in, the words convey the extreme poverty of his spirit and motivations.

The Elephantmen themselves are astonishing, Ladronn has managed to subtly combine the animal and human elements is a unified whole that breathe personality and rage. They are the visible monsters in the book, the real monstrosity of Dr Nikken is nicely underplayed by contrast.

The urban context for the story is a Blade Runner like setting, the art uses the similarity without being drowned by it. The discipline in the art is extraordinary, the details are numerous, they never overwhelm the whole, they give it depth and solidity. This set up does exactly what it should, it provides a vivid and deeply enticing introduction to the on-going series as well as being a very memorable piece of work in its own right. Fantastic.

Nixon's Pals. Joe Casey (Writer), Chris Burnham (Art). Rus Wooton (Letters). Inage Comics Inc. (2008)

This straightforward, competent comic is worth reading. This is not intended as a meagre compliment to the level of craft and talent demonstrated in the comic, rather it reflects the fact that the book squarely meets my expectations without exceeding or overturning them. The premise is smart, Nixon Cooper is a parole officer for supervillians. It has a bucket of potential and to a large extent that potential is realised with the book. There are no let downs nor false moves in the book, the idea is skillfully executed. The art is dynamic and detailed, equally effective with supervillians and human characters. The domestic and office scenes are nicely done, the emotional content is clear and vibrant. The supervillians are varied and thoughtfully realised. There is enough variety to give a sense of a genuine population of enhanced creatures threaded through society to make the idea of a supervillian parole officer credible.

The loss in the book is the story structure, it conforms too closely to existing crime story conventions. This has its advantages, it normalises the activities of the fabulous characters and gives weight and credibility to the narrative, it allows for a persuasive interaction between the parole officer and his parolees. The problem is that is does not take a leap off into the fantastic, exploiting the possibilities of the premise. Joe Casey is talented enough to take a almost stereotyped situation, a law enforcement agent with a disintegrating personal relationship, feeling frustration with the system, supervisor and colleagues and to breathe real life into it. The choice to follow this pattern acts to restrict him later when he needs fireworks. The narrative is constructed cleverly, the reveals are effective and the climax satisfactory. This is solid storytelling that just misses being exhilarating.