Where is Jake Ellis?

Written by Nathan Edmondson
Art by Tonci Zonjic

Who Is Jake Ellis? was a very cool mini-series about Jon Moore, a former CIA agent who was tortured in a facility, and managed to escape after he discovered that another man, Jake Ellis, had taken up residence in his head, and could provide him with an unparalleled level of situational awareness.  The series was about Jon's quest to figure out what was done to him, and in the process, he discovered who Jake was.

This sequel opens with the two men successfully separated.  Jon is living in hiding in Thailand, although it's not long into this issue when men with guns come looking for him again, and he finds himself on the run.

Jake, meanwhile, has been kept in a hospital, with no knowledge of what has been happening with his family.  After he's finally given the chance to call his wife, people come after him too, and he flees the hospital.

It's clear that the two men are still connected in some way, although a new wrinkle is added at the very end of the issue.  Nathan Edmondson works best on stories like this, where characters are on the run and have to rely on their own wits.  Tonci Zonjic is an amazing artist, and his work here looks terrific.

The first series was a very exciting read, and this one looks to be just as good.

Who is Jake Ellis? #5

Written by Nathan Edmondson
Art by Tonci Zonjic

It's going to be difficult to talk about the final issue in this mini-series without giving away some of the surprises that take place.  Who Is Jake Ellis? has been a very interesting book since it's beginning.

Jon Moore was an intelligence analyst until he was taken to some strange facility, and experimented on in unknown ways.  Somehow, he ended up with Jake Ellis in his head - a ghost-like character with incredible powers of perception.  He can tell you when a security camera is being watched, and always knows what's on the other side of doors.  The pair of them have been in hiding for a while, using their unique situation to pull off jobs of dubious legality.  Since the series began, they've been on the run again, as both American intelligence agents and the people who run the Facility have been trying to take Moore in.  In the last issue, they'd infiltrated the Facility itself, and found Jake's file.

This final issue answers the question in the title, and has Moore come to understand better what happened to he and Ellis.  Moore's been portrayed as pretty stubborn throughout, and this issue confirms that status.

I've really enjoyed this book.  Zonjic's art is lovely (I especially like the last few pages of this issue), and Edmondson's script is very smart.  It's hard to find new takes on the classic Fugitive story, but Edmondson has done that here.  It's almost impossible to read this issue without thinking about his work on Grifter for DC's new 52, and there are a number of similarities.  Personally, I prefer this title, and look forward to his The Activity, which is coming in December.

Who is Jake Ellis? #4

Written by Nathan Edmondson
Art by Tonci Zonjic

Who is Jake Ellis? is a very cool mini-series.  This issue is filled entirely with Jon Moore breaking into the Facility compound that he's finally tracked down.  He's doing this because he and Jake Ellis, the voice in his head, are desperate to figure out what was done to them a few years ago.  You see, somehow, because of the doctors or scientists at this Facility, Jake exists only as an independent consciousness inside of Jon.

This makes for some very cool scenes, as Jake gives Jon the benefits of having an omniscient narrator who is able to describe and perceive his surroundings in minute detail.  Because of this, Jake can advise him of not just when a camera is pointing at him, but also if someone is watching the monitor.  The infiltration scenes are very neat, as watch Jon and Jake dance through security, and make their way into the bowels of the Facility, where it looks like they will learn what they've been looking for.

Edmondson imbues this book with taut suspense, and Tonci Zonjic is drawing the hell out of it.  His art is stylized and perfect for this book.

Who is Jake Ellis? #3

Written by Nathan Edmondson
Art by Tonci Zonjic

I'm really enjoying Who is Jake Ellis?.  Edmondson is pacing this book beautifully, and making very good use of the unique situation Jon, the main character, finds himself in.  He has a man, the titular Jake, living in his head, able to see things all around him and make connections and predictions quicker than a normal person can.  Basically, Jake is like a Spidey-sense that you can communicate with. 

This means that Jake and Jon have been able to stay a few steps ahead of the mysterious men from 'The Facility' that have been pursuing them across Europe.  In this issue, Jon and Jake reconcile after their disagreements of last month, and put together a plan that should lead them to the mysterious Facility, and hopefully help them understand just what was done to them.

This is a very taut story, which plays with some of the better conventions of spy and heist movies, as Jon doubles back on trains, and abducts one of his pursuers.  Tonci Zonjic's art is terrific, as he plays around a little with his colours during a nightclub scene.  In all a very cool comic.

Who is Jake Ellis? #2

Written by Nathan Edmondson
Art by Tonci Zonjic

The first issue of this suspenseful mini-series was amazing, as it introduced Jon Moore, a man clearly wanted by a lot of different groups of people, and Jake Ellis, a shadowy and ethereal figure who seems to be gifted with a limited amount of prescience.  The issue zoomed by, as the two men tried to evade a number of people, before ultimately being captured.

This second issue needed to be more grounded and provide a little more explanation, which it does, while still maintaining a similar level of kinetic energy.  The issue opens and closes with scenes from four years ago, as Jake helps Jon escape from a facility where he is being experimented on in some way.  The words 'remote viewing' are used, which reminded me of The Men Who Stare at Goats, a film that fictionalised the American Army's attempt to use remote viewing and other New Age weapons against the Soviets.

Anyway, the rest of the issue has Jon escaping from French police, and avoiding capture from some Americans and another group.  He speaks to one of the Americans, which reveals for us the connection between Jon and the CIA, and then he and Jake have a little heart-to-heart, which reveals a great deal about their relationship.

Edmondson is writing a very smart little thriller here, and Zonjic's artwork is phenomenal.  This series has been picking up some buzz, and it is very well deserved.  This definitely has it in it to be one of the best mini-series of 2011.

Who is Jake Ellis? #1

Written by Nathan Edmondson
Art by Tonci Zonjic

This new mini-series has me pretty excited.  It opens in Barcelona, where a man named Jon is involved in some kind of deal that has gone badly.  He fires on the people he's supposed to be dealing with, and jumps off a yacht.  The scene is weird, because the dialogue seems really stilted and unnatural.

Then, we see the same scene again, except that there is a shadowy figure standing in the background, who is speaking directly to Jon.  Now, the dialogue makes perfect sense, but we don't know who this guy is.  But then, that's the point of the comic, as the shadowy guy is Jake Ellis, and comic is called Who is Jake Ellis?

As the issue unfolds, we follow Jon to France, where he is hiding out from the Spaniards, and discussing his options with Jake.  It quickly becomes clear that no one else can see Jake, but he can see a lot.  While Jon is having a liaison with a French waitress, Jake warns him that there are people coming to kill him, and guides him out of the room.

The book establishes itself nicely, while playing things very close to the vest.  There's talk of some Americans that are looking for Jon, but we can't tell yet if he's a good guy or a bad guy.  And, of course, we have no idea what the deal is with Jake, but I want to find out.

As interesting as the story is, this comic is worth buying for Tonci Zonjic's art alone.  His look is a mix of David Aja, Year One-era David Mazzuchelli, Michael Lark, and maybe a bit of Javier Pulido.  It's very nice, and while I know I've seen him do something for Marvel, I'm sure it won't be long before he becomes a higher profile artist there.  This is definitely worth checking out.