Collecting the first four issues of the creator-owned noir series, this 102-page graphic novel from Fifth World Studios is all set to premiere at ECCC. And with an intriguing concept standing at its core (it’s right there in the title), “ReincarNATE” is sure to win fans in Seattle and beyond.
Written by Michael Moreci
Illustrated by Keith BurnsNate McCoy is a private eye with an unusual problem – he can see and interact with past versions of himself, the people he reincarnated from. With the help of Jameson (a Wild West lawman) and Alan (a 1960s-era hitman), Nate works to solve his latest case, one that digs straight to the heart of the city’s criminal underworld.
Nate McCoy used to be a cop, but that didn’t work out too well. Now, he’s an embittered wise-ass who still takes an interest in what’s going on below the surface of the city. But after an attempt is made on his life – and it very likely has something to do with his involvement in an old case – Nate starts to see things a little differently. It doesn’t hurt that past-life incarnations – a cowboy named Jameson and a hitman named Alan – are now guiding his investigations.
Along the way, Nate encounters a nice mix of characters: police officer and sort-of love interest Autumn, the sexy but sketchy Nikol, and a mob-boss villain named… El Panda. (No, there’s no explanation for that. And he also runs a bowling alley, so I guess he’s sort of unusual on two counts.) Anyway, things get complicated fast, and Nate and his two allies find themselves embroiled in a plot revolving around corrupt police.
The issues roll along in a smooth and entertaining – if somewhat unoriginal – fashion, and while some of the dialogue is sort of wooden, it gets the story where it needs to go. The real wrench in the works here is that it doesn’t exactly feel like the central hook – sidekicks out of previous lives – is being exploited to its fullest. Jameson and Alan do offer Nate advice here and there, and act as another two sets of eyes when he finds himself in complicated logistical situations, but all in all the plot – which involves your expected kidnappings and double crossings and the like – doesn’t really need them. What’s missing here is some deeper thematic link that would really mesh Nate’s personality with his peculiar ability, and make it feel like his own personal edge rather than something that’s sort of incidental to the story.
Keith Burns’ art is solid, with consistent and effective character work and a good feel for camera angles. The exception is the character design for Autumn: she’s a cop, but for some reason she dresses and wears her hair like a fourteen-year-old girl. Meanwhile, the layouts are consistently interesting and smooth. The borders between panels are almost invisible, but rather than muddying up the progression of events it actually adds smooths things down, making for some pretty immersive pages. Every now and then there’ll be an odd element like a billiard ball or a floating head sitting between panels, and while the effect is unusual it’s not overly distracting either.
And then there’s Burns’ covers, which are wonderful – bleary and impressionistic and all kinds of colourful, they lend a nice polish to the collection as a whole. And speaking of colours, Chris Beckett (issue one) and Jack Davies (issues 2 to 4) establish an odd but effective colour scheme that underscores the otherworldly nature of the proceedings.
All told, this comic has got one heck of a concept, and while it’s not exactly being fully exploited, it still makes for an intriguing twist on the burnt-out cop story we all know so well. Some flaws notwithstanding, folks who like their noir with a twist will likely get a kick out of “ReincarNATE”.
If you won’t be making it to ECCC, you can buy the collected edition – and read the first issue for free – over at the Fifth World Studios store.
Final Verdict: 7.5 – Browse
