Kicking off a seven-issue miniseries from Archaia, this first chapter of “The Last Broadcast” feels like two comics for the price of one. Exploring – if not quite blending – the worlds of urban exploration and stage magic, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into here.
Written by André Sirangelo
Illustrated by Gabriel IumazarkWHY WE LOVE IT: Ever wonder what’s behind that “No Trespassing” sign? Co-creators André Sirangelo and Gabriel Iumazark take us deep into the renegade world of urbEx (urban exploration). Throw in a decades-old conspiracy involving vaudeville magicians and occult spiritualists and you’ve got us hooked.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: The cunning, daredevil urbEx members of Backbone will win you over as the ragtag, Ocean’s Eleven-style crew of the sewers and abandoned warehouses. Iumazark’s Brazilian/Japanese-fusion indie art style brings edgy energy to every dark corner. And fans of THIEF OF THIEVES and the film NOW YOU SEE ME will find a lot that entices them.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: An urban spelunking group in San Francisco discovers a secret bunker belonging to the long-vanished 1930s stage magician Blackhall the Incredible at the same time as young, out-of-work magician Ivan receives a mysterious package that points him toward a possible conspiracy involving Blackhall’s death in 1934. Both groups dive into the mystery, not yet realizing that it’s about the change their lives forever.
The solicit lays it all out pretty clear, so there’s not much to say on the plot except that it’s delivered rather gradually. We get this story situation-by-situation, becoming immersed, by turns, in Ivan’s unsuccessful career as a magician, and a mysterious adventure beneath San Francisco.
From the get-go, Iumazark’s artwork makes the story easy to fall into. It’s sketchy without being unclear, diverse without being inconsistent, and the amount of shading, detail, and depth gives it all a storybook feel. A rather Gothic storybook, granted, but that feeling of falling headlong into the world of the story is there. These solidly realized backgrounds make the most of the spelunking scenes, situating the characters in some dank and drippy places and illustrating the play of light through them. The dizzying vistas that come up here lend the issue a hefty dose of tension.
Despite all the detail, Iumazark’s storytelling is assured, making use of relatively simple layouts and differentiating scenes with delicate shifts in palette. If the switches between plotlines are occasionally difficult to follow, it’s because they haven’t converged yet, and we don’t quite know what one has to do with the other. It’s clear the magician Blackhall is at the center of the mystery, but as Ivan receives some mysterious photographs, and the adventurers reach their destination, the pertinence of this mystery to the present is definitely being kept obscure.
What keeps the story rolling is the appeal of Ivan’s storyline; there’s quite a bit of humour shining through his predicament. He’s just not that great a magician, and it’s hard not to laugh at a guy who gets himself caught in a straitjacket while rehearsing. His flunked audition is cringe-worthy in all the right ways, with Sirangelo’s dialogue capturing the well-meaning enthusiasm of Ivan’s character.
All the while, Iumazark’s subtle characterizations underscore the humor as well as the danger. A lightly caricatured producer gets across a satirical edge, while a vaguely untrustworthy nurse on the first page evokes just the right amount of unease. The frustration felt by Ivan’s assistant, Alex, is also palpable; the naturalistic posing during their dialogue does a lot to articulate the dynamic of their friendship, and get us asking questions about their backstory.
With two meaty topics duelling for our attention, this first issue is a substantial read. It’s the nuanced execution of it all that keeps the material engaging, evoking a mystery without drawing us into it yet. A gorgeous comic with atmosphere to spare, reading “The Last Broadcast” feels like trespassing in all the right ways.
Final Verdict: 8.9 – Buy
