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Review: Translucid #1

By | April 17th, 2014
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Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez joins his wife and frequent collaborator Chondra Echert and artist Daniel Bayliss in this alarming expose of the inherent evil of horse head masks.

Written by Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert
Illustrated by Daniel Bayliss

WHY WE LOVE IT: Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert have given us such BOOM! Studios favorites as KILL AUDIO and KEY OF Z. Their latest book takes the superhero trope of “the neverending battle” and turns it into a completely different beast.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: TRANSLUCID is the superhero story you’ve wanted but never thought you’d see. It explores the thin line between heroes and villains, and the space between childhood hope and loss.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT: The Horse has been the arch-enemy of The Navigator for years. But The Horse feels The Navigator’s moral compass slipping, and even a villain can’t let that happen. The Horse decides to get a closer look into The Navigator’s past that he’s buried deep in his subconscious and find out what drives a person to make the right choice, and what propels someone to make a selfish one. Thus begins an exploration of why a young man would take the mantle of a superhero.

Batman and the Joker are arguably the most iconic rivalry in all of comics. Dozens of comic’s biggest names have left their mark on the duo’s twisted relationship, from Alan Moore’s iconic “Killing Joke” to the recent “Death of the Family.” It’s no surprise that others would be inspired to expand on the relationship, taking it in directions and places not possible within the confines of the DCU.

This leads to the basic conceit behind “Translucid.” However, while the creators have been open about the book’s influences, the comparison only goes so far. This book is far more than neutered DC fan-fiction with a moderate twist.

“Translucid” is the story of a vigilante known as the Navigator, who has lost his edge during the incarceration of his archenemy, The Horse. The Horse, recently released on parole, is ready to do something about that.

First, let’s talk about the characters. There’s something terrifyingly silly about The Horse. He’s a high class criminal in a business suit and scarf, who also happens to wear a horse head mask. He’s not a Joker-type. In fact, his interactions with lower tier villains suggests a more “Kingpin”-esque persona. Except there’s the horse head. It’s such a striking and absurd image that, when played as straight as it is, sticks with you in a very unsettling way.

The other side of the coin, the Navigator, gets considerably less attention. Precious little information is given regarding the vigilante, other than the fact that he’s generally well loved, despite his recent perceived apathy towards the crime fighting gig. The character’s main hook (besides the incredible holographic utility belt) is his disturbingly codependent relationship with the Horse. This point is the driving force for the issue’s climax, and the key differentiation from its conceptual roots.

There’s one last character that shakes up the book’s seemingly simple high concept; a boy. It’s unclear if this boy, whom the issue opens and closes on, is related to either the Navigator or the Horse in any way. It’s not even clear if he exists in the same world. He clearly has some knowledge of the Navigator’s gear, suggesting that he is either the Navigator in his youth, or perhaps even the creator of Navigator. It wouldn’t be the first time Sanchez has delved into metatextual story-telling. The character provides an intriguing for the framework, and the way these segments weave inform the events of the Navigator story is reminiscent of the duality seen in Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy’s “Joe the Barbarian.” However, with such little context, this is little more than an intriguing wrinkle in the main story.

The issue’s true star is arguably artist Daniel Bayliss. Readers might know Bayliss from his breathtaking work on the fan-fiction Batman story, “The Deal.” While Bayliss’ work in that story had a gritty, Paul Pope-esque feel, his work on Translucid much smoother and less exaggerated. Bayliss uses some great perspective tricks throughout the issue, such as the opening scene with the Horse that alternates between first and third person perspective.

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I’m unsure who handled the coloring for the issue, but oh boy is it trippy. Everything is rendered in the brightest and most vibrant of hues. The lush green vegetation, the magenta of a stormy sky, and the rainbow gradient cast upon this fictionalized New York feel like the product of some drug induced haze. That is, until the Navigator is actually drugged, and things get ten times crazier. This leads to arguably the most impressive page of the entire issue. A double spread, The Horse stands triumphant. Page tall lettering spells out the word “CLICK,” and the letters themselves act as windows into the Navigator’s drug induced hallucinations. As for the lower half of the page, well, you’ll have to read it to find out.

The exception to the technicolor haze is the scenes with the boy. These pages are colored in a much more realistic way. This visual clue gives even greater credence the possibility of these being two separate worlds, and calls into question the reality of the Navigator and the Horse.

Super hero books are a dime a dozen. “Translucid” #1 succeeds by expanding on a basic and well worn high concept, without feeling derivative. Sanchez, Echert, and Bayliss have managed to craft a gorgeous debut issue that grabs readers with its strong characters and perplexing mysteries. Like Bayliss’ “Batman: The Deal,” “Translucid” promises to offer a unique take on the struggle between good and evil, while redefining just what those roles mean.

Final Verdict: 8.6 – Buy. This is a book worth keeping an eye on.


Zach Wilkerson

Zach Wilkerson, part of the DC3 trinity, still writes about comics sometimes. He would probably rather be reading manga or thinking about Kingdom Hearts. For more on those things, follow him on Twitter @TheWilkofZ

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