There are certain creative teams in comics that become known as top quality, trend-setting dynamic duos. Pairings of writers and artists that defy the usual job and role assignation, with collaboration flowing sideways instead of any sort of vertical mandate. In the modern era, it is hard to argue that Bendis and Gaydos are just such a combination, with a vast library of work, stretching across characters and publishers. “Pearl” #1 is the beginning of yet another of those gems and, once again, Bendis and Gaydos have hit creative gold if this debut issue is any indication.
Written by Brian Michael BendisCover by Michael Gaydos
Illustrated by Michael Gaydos
Colored by Michael Gaydos
Lettered by Joshua ReedFrom the Peabody Award-winning creators of Jessica Jones comes a brand-new creation. PEARL is the story of an exceptional tattoo artist and accidental assassin for one of the modern-day San Francisco Yakuza. She was born into one life, but another is calling to her. When Pearl accidentally meets one of her peers, her doppelgänger from another clan, she starts to dream of a better life. But Pearl has a very special ability that keeps pulling her back into the violent world she is desperate to escape. PEARL is a major series launch from writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos that features their first brand-new original character since Jessica Jones. Fans of the Jessica Jones comic and TV show will be thrilled and delighted by this bold new direction the creative team has taken.
Comics are, first and foremost, a visual medium. Its success relies heavily on capturing the audience´s attention and, even more importantly, on keeping it, through a strong and consistent narrative flow. Flashy panels, double-page spreads and other bells-and-whistles are fine tools to achieve that first goal, but only a fuller understanding on how a story should move forward gets you the points for that second one.
Gaydos shows in “Pearl” #1 a mastery of panel design, close and wide shots and character interaction through visual alone. First of all, the realism on these pages is astounding: environments feel real and lived in, the eyes on characters feel like they have subtitles, expressing their thought and intentions seamlessly. Like the in-story tattoos of the master Iriguci, there will be moments where readers will have the haunting impression of staring at pictures or movie stills, rather than a drawing per se. It is that good.
The artist also plays with eye-guidance (the use of visual cues for readers to understand where they should be looking at next) brilliantly. When the two main characters interact – across panels and even pages – their line of sight within the story dictates how the next panel is laid out. Without relying on first-view shots, Gaydos is still able to deliver that same effect on the backs-and-forth between the protagonists.
Moving away from a realistic approach, “Pearl” #1 offers a lot in more experimental imagery, once again used in favor and context of the story. Predominantly in two moments – one when an absurd motorcycle run-by breaks out and another sequence set in the past – Gaydos intentionally shifts his style to accommodate a script requirement. The motorcycle scene feels over-the-top: panels move sideways completely, action bits bleed from one panel to the next. On the memory sequence, though, the alternate style is that of a faded page, much like long-held memories that don’t seem as solid as what is happening on the now: characters lines are less solid, anatomy morphs just a bit.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that the colors on “Pearl” #1 are also done by the same artist. That marriage of line work and palette on able hands is always a treat; here, a majorly green selection of hues deliver the feeling of an urban, yet unreal environment, almost as if permeated by a constant bathe of neon lights. Reds and grays are used on the aforementioned motorcycle and memory sequences, further adding to their distinction to the rest of the issue.
And what about Bendis’s script? Well, this is one of his most interesting work in recent memory, especially when it comes to brand new characters. Similar to the feeling the art provided that this world is inhabited, the story obviously is inserted in a much wide canvas, which is only revealed as the story progresses and the characters either discover them or talk about it. There is not a single moment of unwarranted exposition or forced reveals: instead, readers are pulled in by their own curiosity.
Continued belowDialogue, always a source of debate when Bendis is concerned, but usually a positive for this reviewer, is more contained in “Pearl,” which is surely a good thing. This is not a comic that gets bogged down by an excess of conversation, nor does the dialogue feel pushed into character’s mouths to move the plot forward. It is used wisely to both reveal certain pieces of information but, predominantly, to reveal character traits, intentions and desires. It is used to build something, rather than to just play with a sandbox.
When it ends, “Pearl” #1 leaves its audience with compelling new characters and a familiar world with strange and surreal aspects. That sense of unknown, of not fully understanding where the story will go next is anchored by a very strong protagonist and supporting characters that open up several narrative choices going forward. The fact that it is conveyed so beautifully and fluidly by an art that mashes completely with the script, makes this one comic no one should miss.
Final Verdict : 9.2 – “Pearl” #1 is everything a debut issue should be and more. Interesting characters in a complex setting, with page after page of gorgeous art to get lost in. Don´t miss it.
