City of Silence

Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Gary Erskine

I'm not exactly sure where to begin with this one. I guess this three-issue series that was published in 2004 can be redeemed if one were to read it as a trial-run for Ellis's current "Doktor Sleepless".

Stealth is a city where technological ideas become dangerous or something, and there are secret police called Silencers who have been sent out to kill people who have these ideas, or something like that? Basically, there are three scary cops, who keep undressing for no apparent reason, that everyone else is afraid of, and they kill some people, and hurt some other people. The story doesn't make a lot of sense, and is a little too post-Neuromancer for me.

The art is by Gary Erskine, whose work I've liked since back in the "Knights of Pendragon" days, but I feel I must comment on how unattractive his characters always are. There's something about his work that makes all his women incredibly mannish. His art is like an ugly Tony Harris, although it does work within this particular title quite nicely.

As with many Ellis titles, every page drips with new, unfettered ideas. The problem is that this title needed some serious editing. Not exactly recommended, unless you like train wrecks. Go read "Doktor Sleepless" instead.