ECCC 2013 is currently in full swing, so to celebrate we are offering up a few reviews of books that you can find on sale at the convention right now. And boy howdy, is this one you’re going to want to go snag a copy of ASAP.
Written by Ryan Ferrier
Illustrated by Michael Walsh (#1) and Brian Level (#2)THE BROTHERS JAMES follows two orphans, identical twins Jack and John James, on a road trip of revenge throughout the southern United States. Their mission: hunt down and kill every member of the now-defunct motorcycle gang that viciously murdered their parents fifteen years earlier.
Death isn’t all that’s in store however, as the brothers flee a suspecting sheriff with ties to the young killers, and uncover secrets about their parents that threaten to dismantle their mission and their brotherhood.
Originally released by 215 Ink before being reprinted at Ferrier’s imprint, Challenger Comics, “The Brothers James” #1 introduces us to the eponymous brothers John and Jack who are on a mission: to absolutely obliterate the Lucky Devils MC from the face of the Earth. As the book kicks off, the boys have already embarked on their vendetta-fueled journey, and we’re immediately tossed with no restraint into their new-found world of violence and chaos in a well executed scene at a diner for a surprisingly fun and well executed (no pun intended) bloodbath.
Now the second installment of the book is out, and together the two issues make for a rather great slice of comic goodness. Ferrier, Walsh and Level throw us on a rather intriguing road trip across the midwest, with the first two issues covering points of the story in Kentucky and Tennessee as the brothers roll along for different aspects of their revenge story, and we the reader are right there on the front lines with them. The tragic heroes are instantly likable, their otherwise violent crusade seemingly affable, and as much as this book represents a darker side of rampant vigilantism we can’t help but cheer along for these two on their travels. That’s, in the simplest of terms, what makes “the Brothers James” such an entertaining read: the brothers James.
Of course, the way we actually enter the book is an interesting one. A book like this, featuring two boys on the road getting into trouble, wouldn’t feel complete without some kind of humble narrator, and with a cross between the narrator from The Big Lebowski and Dukes of Hazard the whole violent ordeal becomes that much more appealing as we find ourselves able to engage the story on two separate and distinct levels. In fact, the Dukes of Hazard shtick seems downright deliberate, as “the Brothers James” is somewhat like Dukes gone wrong, playing off of some of the same tropes and ordeals you’ll find in your average road movie – car chases, flips and the one sheriff tracked with tracking the boys down – but those genre traits don’t hurt the book in any specific way.
See, that’s the trick that the team pulls. Yes, to an extent, “the Brothers James” is ostensibly familiar in a few ways, by Ferrier, Walsh and Level make this world very much their own. That’s the task of any creative team, because with years of story telling available it’s sometimes hard to deliver a completely unique story that’s otherwise grounded in reality (magic and whatnot are different), making comparisons somewhat inevitable. Yet, rot from the get go the inherent influences on the book are skewered and twisted towards the need of the one story, mashing together to something that feels new – and even if it for some reason feel new to you, it’s certainly still very exciting.
Ryan Ferrier is by no means a newcomer to comics, having self-published several books over the years (such as “Tiger Lawyer”), but it’s never not impressive his ability to completely change his voice between his work, as admittedly limited as my interactions with it may be. “The Brothers James” sees Ferrier taking control of some other personality, masquerading as a macabre Southern-infused narrator, and the distinction between the various characters is definitely interesting. Some writers tend to have carry over techniques, but it all seems new and inventive for Ferrier hear, especially when considering the gap in time between when the first two issues was released; it’s dark yet playful, violent but not exploitive, and recognizable but very much singular as well. Rather, it’s simply a good read.
Continued belowOh, and did I mention the lettering? Lettering is something that many people view as an after-thought to comics, but given Ferrier’s lettering chops (having lettered one of my favorite comics of last year, “LP,” and one of my new favorites this year, “Theremin”) it is very much an active part of this book, implicitly used as a narrative tool in drawing the readers eyes where Ferrier needs them while taking on a life of their own aside the narrative. If you’ve ever been confused about what good lettering can add to comics, Ferrier’s work here is a pretty great example.
Having two fantastic artists on the creative team also certainly helps. Michael Walsh takes up the first book, illustrating a stylistic tale that plays on visual cues more than most. Walsh has got a great eye for bringing out the duality of the two brothers, something played in an amusing fashion at first when we first meet them but something that stays strong throughout. Given the largely singular setting of the book, what’s mostly noticeable about Walsh’s particular influence on the series is its distinct characters and noir overtones, which – while not really apparent on the overall tale – does show Walsh’s strength in offering up moody environments for the characters to inhabit.
Walsh has since moved to illustrating “Comeback” with Ed Brisson, but Brian Level has taken up the book with a style that matches Walsh’s and then some. Level’s work seems to add a bit more grim and grit to the read without taking away from Walsh’s initial approach, simply adding twit in ways that help Level define the book in his own way. Issue #2 is a more action-packed read than the first and Level’s camera work is stunning, putting us face-first into the thick of the action and – pardon the play on words – kicking the book into full throttle. As he damn well should.
Part Tarantino revenge story and part grindhouse road thriller, “The Brothers James” is a great and blood-thirsty comic adventure that strikes a definite chord with the first two issues. There is something familiar about the book and that can’t be helped to a certain extent, but the team weave such a great tale overall that this is entirely forgivable. Wherever the book goes from here, you should certainly strap in for the ride.
(And I’m so so sorry about the car jokes.)
Final Verdict: 8.5
“The Brothers James” will be on sale this weekend from Challenger Comics, table G-02.
