Written by Jay Faerber
Illustrated by Simone GuglielminiMarkham is a professional killer who has a near death experience during a botched mission. Determined to avoid ever returning to the Hell he glimpsed, Markham dedicates himself to balancing the scales. He’s going to save a life for every life he’s taken. And he’s taken a lot of lives… A new ongoing crime series for fans of Criminal and the novels of Lee Child and Robert Crais.
Note: the above solicit text is for the first issue only
DCnU, DCshmoo! There are other new #1s on the market, and today I’m going to tell you about one that I already know is a guaranteed winner. Why? Because we’ve read the first three issues, not just the first, so we know that quality is a guarantee.
Find out more after the cut. Additionally, be sure to check out our interview with Jay about the series right here.
The crime genre is both one of the easiest to write and one of the most difficult. It’s easy because, really, anyone can do it. At this point with so many writers attempting to write crime fiction, it’s become a paint by numbers endeavor. It’s difficult because just because you can write a crime story, doesn’t mean you can write a good crime story. Long gone are the days of classic noir, and it’s up to modern day storytellers to attempt to figure out a new way to reinvent the wheel a bit, even if only slightly.
Enter Near Death. Focusing on a contract killer named Markham who has a near death experience when a hit goes awry, Markham finds himself face to face with everyone he’s ever killed. The vision is so haunting that Markham vows to save a life for every life he took, thus beginning the books slow tale of redemption. After this initial issue, each following issue focuses on one piece of Makham’s greater journey, telling one tiny piece of his road to redemption as he becomes less of a mercenary for hire and instead becomes an anti-hero for hire.
The idea of Near Death is quite an intriguing one. Much like a less-toned down version of Incorruptible, we’re given a selfish character with seemingly no hope of redemption now actively attempting to redefine himself. However, even three issues in, I’m not sure if this is ever possible. It’s a consistently shifting seesaw; Markham’s actions are certainly that of a reformed man, but he never loses his killer edge, and the idea is perfectly illustrated within the second two issues. The second issue of the series deals with Markham being asked to protect a man being harassed whose past has caught up with him, and Markham’s actions at the end of the issue lead you to believe that his road to redemption is certainly not paved with the purest of intentions. Yet, in the third issue, Markham helps a cop who is actively attempting to arrest him, noting at the end of the issue that he’s not doing this for a free pass. It’s this consistently shifting tone between Markham’s character that makes this book so intriguing though, and in his less than pure ideals Markham becomes a rather entertaining character to follow.
That’s the thing about Near Death — this is a book that is solely defined by the central character. Nothing else really matters. Each issue is an exercise for the creative team to come up with new ways for Markham to attempt to save his soul, but in the end the only thing that matters is where Markham begins and ends per issue. A lot of comics lose their character focus, even those with one central character, due to ongoing arcs and events and crossovers and whatnot, but with Near Death being told in mostly one-and-done stories (with a few multi-part stories here and there set for the future) it’s actually a lot easier to get acclimated to the title and connect with it’s protagonist. The reason to keep reading is not to to see specifically what is going to happen next, but rather what is going to happen to Markham next, and that is perhaps the books greatest selling point.
Continued belowThat’s not to say that the rest of the book isn’t good. The plots are quite fun. Jay Faerber has crafted a fun title that can be equally as intriguing when it’s heavy on the action or when it features quieter moments. At times Near Death feels like a mix of Criminal, Punisher or Gotham Central; a very character driven story full of corruption and your favorite crime tropes. Markham is the Frank Castle of today, fresh out of the box with new all it’s original parts and ready to play. Faerber has crafted a great new central character for a title that is literally bursting with possibilities in it’s future. There are all kinds of themes to explore, genre tropes to visit, and adventures to be had in the nearly limitless world of Near Death. It should certainly be quite exciting to see where Fearber takes the story next.
Of course, a good script can only go so far with it’s words. This is where Simone Guglielmini comes in with Ron Riley to deliver a wonderfully atmospheric comic. Clearly influenced by the work of Sean Phillips, Guglielmini’s art revels in shadow, matching the dark tone of the series and allowing a conflicted character like Markham to really thrive in the environment. Guglielmini manages a steady and consistent tone throughout the book with excellent character definition, and it’s this distinctive look that makes the book both feel like a tribute to the books that clearly influence yet never at any time feel like a blatant rip-off of style. Instead, thanks in part to Riley’s colors, the book takes on a life of it’s own, with less matted tones and less of a heavy noir influence, yet still playing up the artistic possibilities and qualities often readily apparent in great crime stories. Add to that a gorgeous cover by Undying Love and Daredevil Noir artist Tomm Coker and you’ve got yourself a dynamite package of a book.
Suffice it to say, Near Death is an intriguing start to a new series. With three issues I’m rather hooked, but I was already pulled in after one and I can’t imagine that the experience wouldn’t be the same for you. While Near Death certainly isn’t part of any kind of shared universe with a never-ending mythology, what it does have is an immediately intriguing main character whose exploits should certainly be worth reading. With a series that will be focusing on more compressed stories that still burst to the brim with content, collecting a series in single-issues like this is certainly quite worth it.
Final Aggregate Verdict: 9.0 – Add this to your pull and thank me later. You can trade-wait something else.
