Saturday, September 24, 2011

Severed #2

Written by Scott Snyder and Scott Tuft
Art by Attila Futaki

This mini-series is striking all the right notes for me.  It's a historical drama/serial killer comic with very strong character work.  The main character is Jack, a twelve year old who learned a year previously that he was adopted, and that his father is a traveling musician.  He began to correspond with him, and has now left home to try to find him.  In the first issue, Jack ran afoul of a corrupt railroad bull, and when this issue opens, he wants to go back and retrieve his possessions.

Jack is hanging out with a new friend - Sam, who helps him get his stuff, find lodging when they get to Chicago, and travel to the theatre where his father is supposed to be performing.  I don't know yet why Sam is so knowledgeable and capable for such a young kid, but I look forward to finding out more of Sam's story as the comic progresses.

Were this all there was to the comic, I would still be as interested in it, but running parallel to Sam's story is that of the Salesman, a cannibalistic serial killer.  This character is pretty creepy, and I'm sure we're going to learn more about him in the future.

This comic is very nicely put together, with great art by Futaki.  It strikes a nice balance between historical detail and ease of storytelling.  I love period pieces, so this book is right up my alley.

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