The tight-knit gang over at ComixTribe continue their synergistic streak of love-labour comics with another sets of twists on classic comics conventions – that’s primed and ready for a literal comics convention. I’m talking about New York Comic Con, where they’ll debut their new “Oxymoron” miniseries – check out our review to see if it’s worth seeking out.
Written by Tyler James & John Lees
Illustrated by Alex CormackSuffering from a debilitating chronic illness, and reeling from a demotion after her partner’s death, Detective Mary Clark finds herself on the trail of a serial killer obsessed with contradiction, who is painting a bloody canvass of carnage with the entrails of politicians and powerbrokers in the corrupt city of Swanstown.
Through properties like “SCAM”, “The Red Ten”, and “Oxymoron,” ComixTribe has built a name on playing around with the colorful costumed tradition of mainstream comics and the tried-and-true conventions within. Well, okay, the big news-making billboard for “SCAM” and the omnipresent and relentless online social media presence doesn’t hurt either. But none of that would mean much of anything if the comics weren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. “Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare” is another solid entry for the publisher, who is ready to debut it in a limited black & white print run of 300 at New York Comic Con 2014. If you’re going to be around, I’d recommend heading over to pick one up, because “The Loveliest Nightmare” was clearly made with love and with careful thought given to how it would incorporate its influences.
Tyler James and John Lees (writer of the creepily terrific “And Then Emily Was Gone”) clearly wear their influences on their sleeves – considering ComixTribe likes to pepper their solicitations with comparisons and homages. That’s not a bad thing, because it certainly draws folks to a book. But does the product live up to the stories and comics that came before it? Yes. “Oxymoron” definitely belongs. And for this miniseries, one major example came to my mind throughout multiple readings. I can’t be certain whether this is a conscious influence, but “The Loveliest Nightmare” brings to mind “Gotham Central”, in the way that the gruesome villains hang like a spectre over the book, rather than dominate it. Instead, the police force in Swanstown takes most of the stage, with Det. Clark in the center. Mary Clark is a complex character that somehow manages to carry a serious illness that could easily incapacitate her on the job, a tragic past, and an angry, cold demeanor without feeling too much like a cliche. It helps that that illness is something rather specific and out of the ordinary, her past is obviously not yet done with her, and that difficult demeanor is definitely earned. At the same time, there are pockets of heart and warmth where Clark endears herself to us – at least for a moment or two. No other character is as well developed as her, but Swanstown Police Department does feel like a living, breathing thing. The city itself, in fact, is surprisingly developed for a book that could have easily given more time to its visually engaging, enigmatic, and popular “Oxymoron” character. For a book with grisly murder and procedural mystery, James and Lees take their time, show restraint, and focus on story above shock value or gimmicks.
It’s difficult to attribute any one segment of the book to either writer specifically, but I couldn’t help but feel that John Lees helped to up the creep factor of the story. If you’ve read “And Then Emily Was Gone”, you might know that his mind can muster up some pretty trippy and creepy situations – and there’s definitely one or two of those to be found here. A sadistic character like Oxymoron doesn’t really work unless you really go for it, and the writers definitely do that on occasion. But again, “restraint” is the key word. And this writing team is clearly interested in more than trying to get you to gouge out your eyeballs in fear.
Alex Cormack helps with the balance of realism and slight sensationalism with his steady approach to the art. The Oxymoron scenes have a sense of theatricality to them, as is befitting the character. Obviously, The Joker comes to mind whenever we see him go on one of his skewed rants whose logic only appears to apply to the world he’s created in his mind. He’s given a fitting Joker-esque introduction here, hiding from our view as readers. Cormack calls to mind Jack Nicholson’s turn as The Joker, playing up the long buildup to his actual appearance through a slow burn tease.
Continued belowThe rest of the book is a solid visual trip through the characters of the Swanstown PD, with its characters showing plenty of expressiveness. Cormack’s portrayal of the city and its important inhabitants is one of hustle and bustle, with no one able to slow down for a second to take anything in. It’s a checkered city that requires everyone’s attention. On top of that, there’s grandstanding, politics, and power-jockeying – all of which comes across in Cormack’s frenzied approach.
Issue #1 isn’t gritty in the way that it feels truly meant to be black-and-white, so it will be interesting to see what sort of change, for better or worse, a coloring job will do for it next year. It’s starkly black and white, with little in the way of shading, so the tone of the book could definitely shift depending on the choices made. While the black-and-white art looks good, at this point, I’m not sure it’s doing much for the tone of the book on its own.
The actual miniseries in earnest is set to actually start hitting comic book shops in 2015, so you’ll have to wait to read more of the twisted tale. If you’re not going to be in NYC and don’t feel like scouring eBay for a copy later, make a note for next year. One way or another, “Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare” wants to creep you out and you should think about letting it.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Hit the NYCC ComixTribe booth and grab a copy. And keep it in mind for next year.
