The plot of “Doctor Radar” is intriguing and unfolds at a furious pace, but Bezian’s spectacular artwork sets this book apart and makes it truly special. (Warning: contains minor spoilers.)
Cover by Fancesco FrancavillaWritten by Noel Simsolo
Art by Bezian
Translated by Ivanka HahnenbergerA gentleman detective plays a deadly game with a criminal mastermind, Doctor Radar, while investigating a series of horrific deaths! An atmospheric masterpiece perfect for fans of pulp noir and deadly criminal masterminds!
Depending on what kind of books are typically in your pull list, “Doctor Radar” may be fairly atypical. First off, the story is told entirely through dialogue. There is no central narrator, omniscient voice or explanatory text of any kind. Honestly, given that a number of scenes are pretty short and the book jumps from place to place without any formal transitions, it takes a some getting used to. Ultimately, all of the information comes directly from what the characters say and do, so if you’re not paying close attention, it can be easy to get lost – especially since the plot moves at a such furious pace. This is not the kind of book that comes across big, bold splash panels. From time to time it can be a little intricate and fussy, but if you’re willing to dig in, you’ll definitely be rewarded.
It’s Paris 1920, and the top scientists who study space exploration are dying in unusual and unsettling ways. In the opening scene we see one such prominent researcher murdered on a train by two hired assassins who inject him with a shot of the exotic poison, curare. Later, we learn of two others who’ve also met untimely deaths. One of them was found hanged, after having burned all of his personal papers and research notes, and the other was found dead in a river, his face beaten to a pulp. A fourth we see killed at Maxim’s, the world famous Parisian restaurant known for its beautiful women, attacked by scorpions, curtesy of the first two assassins.
It’s definitely a plot brimming with intrigue, mystery and suspense. That said, in and of itself, the narrative is not particularly unique or groundbreaking. In fact, it’s a pretty standard steampunk inspired mystery: Agatha Christie meets Jules Verne in post-WWI Europe. Flip through the opening pages, however, and artist Bezian’s incredible colors will blow you away. Granted, the overall aesthetic may seem a bit monochromatic initially, a simple artistic choice in the style of many other contemporary graphic novels and comics, but soon you’ll also note his masterful yet sparing use of accent colors to highlight specific details, characters, and actions. Upon even closer inspection, you’ll see how he constrains and manipulates his color palette to signal transitions, designate time and place and give the entire piece a wonderful visual rhythm full of cinematic ebbs and flows. Longer, quieter scenes are often bathed in a single color, with lots of heavy blacks and a subtle whites. More energetic scenes, by contrast, feature one or two accent colors, dramatic whites and occasional grays, giving them more punch and drama.
Aside from Bezian’s impeccable use of color, his heavily stylized inks have a loose, expressionistic aesthetic unlike the vast majority of contemporary comics. Rather than using solid blacks, for example, he shades his figures with what look like curved motion lines, dramatically and tightly compacted to create a 3-D look. The effect is mesmerizing. Somehow it feels spontaneous and immediate – as though you can practically hear the pen scratching across the paper – yet equally historic, drawn in a smoky café in Berlin or Paris in 1919 by a semi-famous Dadaist poet. The character’s facial expressions are similarly melodramatic, well outside the norm of present-day realistic styles. In any other context, they would probably look absurd, unforgivably over the top. Here, they fit perfectly, completely in sync with the story, adding to its appeal.
In terms of the story itself, writer Noel Simsolo’s script is clearly well planned and highly structured, moving at lightning speed from one scene to the next, hitting only the highlights, refusing to get bogged down in anything extraneous or unnecessary. At one point, the book’s protagonist, gentleman detective and flying ace Ferdinand Strauss, describes the allure of working to solve a mysterious murder. “The more intelligent and organized the assassin,” he says, “the more interesting the case.” Strauss may very well be describing the book in which he finds himself. Despite the energetic, spontaneous look and feel, the action is obviously carefully plotted and the writing methodical, moving from beat to beat with seamless, well-timed precision. So far, there isn’t any real character development to speak of, but that’s hardly the point. After the premiere issue, the story is in full swing and the mood is well established. You still have to pay close attention and do a little work, this book is anything but a passive experience, but once you do your part, it’s highly satisfying.
Final verdict 8.3 – Spectacular expressionistic artwork makes this comic something special. This could be the start of a truly spectacular run.
