Soulsearchers And Company # 63 and 66
01/03/2005 . Source: Paul Skevington 
pub: Claypool Comics. 36 page standard comic. Price: $ 2.50 (US), $ 4.00 (CAN). Editor: Richard Howell. Writer: Peter David. Penciller: John Heebink. Inker: Al Milgrom. Letterer: Kevin Cunningham. check out website: www.claypoolcomics.com
Claypool Comics company motto is 'comics for people who love to read comics',
an appropriate statement for a company that is concentrating on producing traditional
comics filled with good quality art and fun storylines.
This title, although maintaining these standards to a great extent, is possibly
my least favourite of the three I have looked at, these being 'Soulsearchers',
'Deadbeats' and 'Elvira Mistress of the Dark'. This is largely because it doesn't
have as solid an identity as the other two, with a tone that varies from page
to page and a feeling that the writer somehow does not have full control of
all of the elements of the narrative. Whilst 'Deadbeats' provides an enjoyable
mix of schlock horror and 'Elvira' excels at delivering endless groan inducing
puns, 'Soulsearchers' merely comes across as an uncomfortable half-way house
between the two.
I'm by no means trying to argue that if you're writing horror or fantasy-adventure
that you can't add a bit of humour. Garth Ennis' 'Preacher' would be nowhere
near the masterpiece it is without the biting humour of characters like Cassidy.
Unfortunately, in 'Soulsearchers', the proliferation of inappropriate jokes
and the frequent knowing 'winks' at the reader distracts from the enjoyment
of the tale itself and this is no small flaw.
The page layouts are far more pedestrian than its sister publications, very
traditional and staid, although they do the job adequately. This is redeemed
slightly by the scripts, which are suitably bizarre yet accessible. It is easy
for the casual reader to invest in them without having to read too much of the
back-story.
Issue 63 is a detective story centred on a secret society of rich socialites
who are trying to make amends for the crime their forebears committed. Issue
66 deals with the troubles of Gabriel, the young boy with the anti-demon gun,
who learns that to maintain the balance of order an evil version of his weapon
has been created, with a suitably malevolent wielder.
It all comes across as an inverted and slightly more adult version of the 'Dungeons
And Dragons' cartoon. Instead of contemporary characters in a fantasy setting,
we are presented with magical heroes wandering the modern world and, just like
its forebear, this set-up is slightly unconvincing.
John Heebink's artwork is well realised though and it would be nice to see him
working with stronger material that might allow him to shine more fully. Milgrom's
inking enhances the images admirably and Cunningham does a good job at making
everything legible.
'Soulsearchers' is a comic that direly needs someone to pull on the reigns to
give the whole project a much stronger sense of direction. Perhaps then, its
mixture of magic, jokes and adventure will gel into an experience that is satisfying,
rather than merely just tolerable.
Paul Skevington 
|
