If The Odd Couple were detectives, it would probably look a little something like this. Oh, and cats, lots of cats.
Written by Justin Jordan
Illustrated by Jorge Coehlo
Flood takes Berry out on an unusual first case for a crash course in his oddball techniques.
If you are like me, you have that one oddball friend who is able to make random things fit together. Sometimes that same friend can waste your time and yet somehow execute the exact task you set out to do. As a former boss once told me, “building a rocket ship to go around the corner” is the perfect explanation of this person. Now imagine being a private detective on the streets of Los Angeles with that friend…bet you didn’t see that coming, did you?
This is part of the charm of “John Flood,” because I was able to apply the scenario I mentioned to myself. John Flood isn’t your normal detective by any stretch of the imagination; he had his brain worked on, and it causes him not to be able to sleep. As a long time sufferer of insomnia, I can certainly attest to the feeling of not knowing what is and isn’t real. Naturally, Mr. Flood makes connections to things that ordinary people might not see or even think about. Berry, his cohort, has the exact same reaction I imagine you do right now, which is normal. The pair are on the hunt for a killer who seems to be prolific and almost undetected, except to Mr. Flood. Their journey leads them to a missing cat that has nothing to do with the case at all. Or does it?
Justin Jordan tells the story of John Flood and Berry from end to end, where nothing seems to connect at all. Flood’s mind is filled with ping-pong balls flying all over the place, something that you can picture being chaotic. Jordan doesn’t try to persuade the reader otherwise, if anything he makes it clear that the chaos is very orderly. Flood has a Sherlock Holmes quality to him that is part annoying know-it-all and part misunderstood genius. His long winded explanations are written to be irritating, and I wondered if Jordan was giggling to himself the entire time writing it.
The art from Jorge Coehlo on the other hand is not nearly as infuriating. While his style is not neat and tidy, it is a little all over the place. Lines are not clear, characters are not very human like, and background details are not plentiful. Coehlo gets to play around with things because of this, especially when the view is from Flood’s point of view. Flood’s view is given odd angles and shapes that define his dreamlike world. If I had to make a comparison, it is the comic equivalent of wearing drunk goggles, fun but a little dizzying. Ironically, though everything fits into place, never is there a moment where anything gets confusing. Coehlo excels at moments with a lot going on in the panel, especially when Flood & Berry break into a room full of cats.
Quirkiness aside, the book feels very disjointed in how the story is being told, and while it does seem to be deliberate on Jordan’s part, it makes for a very infuriating read. The story is being told in a flashback, which is made clear on page one but not so much as the story progresses. Normally, I would not have a problem with this, but there is no clear distinction as to what is going on. Flood’s backstory isn’t really touched in this issue at all, which is surprising since he is the focus. Berry does get a quick nod to his problems, if it is only for 4 panels in the middle of the story. This is the part that is difficult to swallow, because why should I care about these characters if I know nothing about them? Sure, we understand they work well together and they are comically mismatched, what else is there? Flood’s motivations are very unclear aside from his nonsensical rambles, and Berry adds nothing to that.
What is clear is Jordan wants Flood to be a classic TV style detective on the pages at hand. In that area, he succeeds very well in making Flood undeniable unique. Where he fails is making him even remotely likable or relatable in any way possible. The whole issue feels like a wild goose chase for a nice “gotcha” moment on the last page that saves the issue from being a dud. I found myself saying, “did I really need to read all of that leading up to this moment?” Perhaps there is a larger explanation coming in the follow up issue, but as it stands, this one missed the mark. With that negative aspect aside, there is a lot to enjoy about “John Flood” as a whole. Do I think this will be on the year’s best of list? No, I do not. Do I think a lot of people will enjoy the story and the antics of Flood? Yes, that I do.
Final Verdict: 6.0 – While the plot meanders a lot, the mismatch of characters is entertaining. The art adds to the zaniness, helping to get inside of Flood’s head just a little bit. The series has potential that is not realized in this issue, though.
