One thing that’s immediately clear when you start “Ether” #1 is that Matt Kindt and David Rubín know how to put together a comic book. There’s so much that happens in this issue, so much ground covered, that it’s almost hard to believe it’s only 22 pages long. The comic is so well-controlled and so well-presented that you’re never overwhelmed with everything that’s going on (which includes a murder mystery, a brand new world, a conflicted character, a parade of odd creatures, and a continually developing grudge). Kindt and Rubín play to each other’s strengths, turning in a visually exciting and deeply engaging read.
Written by Matt Kindt
Illustrated by David Rubín
A science-minded adventurer gets mixed up in the mysteries of a fantasy world in this charming new adventure from an award-winning creative team. Boone Dias is an interdimensional explorer, a scientist from Earth who has stumbled into great responsibility. He’s got an explanation for everything, so of course the Ether’s magical residents turn to him to solve their toughest crimes. But maybe keeping the real and the abstract separate is too big a job for just one man.
So much of “Ether” #1’s success can, I think, be attributed to its focus. There’s a giant other world presented through the book, but Kindt and Rubín make sure to deliver all of it through the perspective of Boone Dias. Part Haggard West, part Sherlock Holmes, and part Princess Bubblegum, Boone Dias wants to define how the supernatural works, to make order out of chaos. He sees it as his mission to explain all the inner workings of this alternate dimension he’s somehow stumbled upon using facts, science, and information. “I’m a scientist!” Boone Dias tells another character. “I operate on facts and information. Your ‘magical’ land has existed in ignorance for eons.”
And yes, Boone Dias might be a bit of an asshole, but he’s not like one of those STEM bros who sees everything not having to do with his work as beneath him or irrelevant. He’s enchanted by this other world, entranced by it. He may need to be right about everything, but he also is driven by this desire to explore and understand. He’s an easy character to be drawn toward.
In the past, Kindt has been one of those writers who relies a little too heavily on first person caption boxes. Not just from the main character, but from all the auxiliary characters as well. This worked for the benefit of something like “MIND MGMT”, but it reads somewhat lazy and convenient for the work he’s done with DC, Marvel, and Valiant. A lot of this, I think, comes from maybe not being wholly familiar with his artist. As if he’s unsure if he can fully communicate what he wants from them or if they would be able to fully convey what he wants out of the story. (Or maybe he just didn’t know who the artist is to begin with.)
That’s definitely not the case with David Rubín. Not only is his work consistently full of kineticism and energy, but he also showcases some of the most ambitious and effective sequential storytelling around. It’s something we’ve seen all throughout his work, from “The Fiction” (with Curt Pires) to his own “The Hero” series. Looking at this, it’s little wonder Paul Pope tapped him to helm the “Aurora West” prequel books.
I’m not just talking about his having interesting or odd panel layouts. Like P. Craig Russell, he has a pretty strong grasp of the rhythm of a page or a scene or a sequence. He knows when he needs to slow everything down to build tension and takes a more animated approach. He knows when the book needs to go big, to show off the city or tune us into an important plot development. He captures a magical, enticing feeling for the inter-dimensional sequences and offsets it with the mundane and drab normal Earth. The scenes are clear, easy to read and to understand what’s going on, and the visuals never get so over-the-top or preposterous that we’re taken out of the story.
Although Kindt and Rubín introduce us to a wide variety of characters, they always make sure to filter it through Boone Dias. It was a wise choice to drop us in on his 200th visit, after he’s developed a relationship (especially with the ape guardian, Glum); a reputation as a problem solver and explorer; and a nemesis. The world feels lived-in, has an established history and presence and we don’t have to waste any time with a sort of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone wonderment. For what this story wants, it’s effective and compelling and it makes it difficult to wonder about the other places Boone Dias is going to end up.
“Ether” #1 does well in laying out its narrative cards, so that by the end, we’re given something that’s almost heartbreaking. Every action Kindt and Rubín present serves to further empathize Boone Dias and give an understanding about his obsession with this world. The book is adventurous, funny, and centered around a tragic and interesting character. Kindt and Rubín turn in a great introduction to this series, and I cannot wait to see where it goes.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Two great creators operating at the top of their game.
