The Bourne X-Files, Russian-style
Synopsis
I saw this issue in the previews catalog and thought the write-up sounded good so I took the plunge. Boy did I get lucky on this title! I have never picked up a book published by Oni Press, nor had I heard of Joe Harris, or even didn't recognize the name of Steve Rolston. The solicitation said something about espionage, creepy stuff, and Russia--all three qualities that I look for in a title so I decided to give this a try. I recommend this book by all means possible!The Good
Story and art, the two main components of any comic book. The very first thing you notice when you turn the cover on this book is the artwork. After reading a few pages I got to thinking that this artwork looked very familiar and I couldn't place it right away. After pondering for a few moments Queen & Country popped into my head. After confirming my suspicion, I had made the connection. Man! I really like Steve Rolston's art. The great thing about it is that this is my first opportunity to see it in color. I sure hope they are able to keep Steve on this title throughout it's existence. Good to see him drawing again.To go along with the great hard-line cartooney art-style was the plot. Joe Harris has really hit this one out of the park! Once I read this book--the first time--I immediately started to make associations to two different films: The Bourne Trilogy and X-Files. I think this is the best way to describe the plot. It has espionage, ghosts, a creepy cat, the Russian mob, and two Department of Defense investigators looking for WMDs. I can not wait for the next issue! If you're in for plot twists, good cop bad cop, politics, and horror give this title a chance. It will NOT disappoint!
The Bad
I have to wait for the next issue.Verdict (5/5)
I don't give this rating out very often, but I feel that this one deserves full marks and will give it a 5/5 rating. I cannot have enough of this storyline and to compliment it with Rolston's artwork--it just cannot get any better than this. Get this book people.