After what feels like far too long, Matt Fraction and Ba/Moon’s “Casanova” returns with the fourth volume ‘Acedia’, proving that while some things are worth the wait, those things aren’t mother fucking “Casanova.”
Written by Matt Fraction and Michael Chabon
Illustrated by Fabio Moon and Gabriel BaMarooned in Los Angeles with no memory of his past, Casanova Quinn takes on the mystery of his criminal benefactor’s tangled and bloody history—as strange occult forces from the future conspire to… do stuff? To him? To Los Angeles? To you? YES. Featuring the first in a series of backup stories by Pulitzer Prize winner MICHAEL CHABON and CASANOVA.
How do we discuss a comic like “Casanova: Acedia” #1? It’s a tricky question, and one without an easy answer.
On some level, “Casanova: Acedia” #1 is really just “Casanova” #13 (if we use the Icon numbering, despite returning home to Image). Picking up some time after we left him in ‘Avaritia’, we find Casanova with a brand new identity and a whole new set of problems, acting as a bodyguard to a rich old man in the brand new world of Hollyweird. Yet the more things change, the more they seemingly stay the same; old habits die hard, so they say, and the man we’re introduced to is not inherently different from the one we’ve been used to for three other volumes now. The only thing different is the name he calls himself and how little his mind lets him in to who he truly is.
While it’s a continuation of an established series, “Casanova: Acedia” is also a new beginning in a lot of ways. It’s the beginning of the fourth volume, the forefront of a new trilogy of albums, and Casanova himself is “new,” alive in a different universe where the past is missing and the future is uncertain. Familiar faces aren’t seen, and people and things are strange yet not entirely out of the ordinary. Not only that, but the book itself actually feels different; gone are some of the quirks and eccentricities of the past volumes (the various talking heads, the inherent chaos) replaced now with something different, with a new narrative device and a more somber Casanova floating almost listlessly through the first half of the issue. With ‘Acedia’ there exists this strange glow around the book, something that seems to hover at the edges of the pages to clue us in that “Casanova” is now still our favorite book yet also something brand new. This is the closest thing we’ll get to a fresh start with the book, something where despite all the drama that was built up over the past 12 issues you could conceivably hop in and see what all the fuss is about.
That same strange glow also messes things up a bit, though. Yes, this is “Casanova,” but it almost isn’t; in the same way that it feels like a new book, it also doesn’t entirely feel like “Casanova” anymore. ‘Acedia’ places Casanova in “our” world, one that’s inherently more mundane than the sci-fi spy antics that he’s used to, which changes the inherent dynamic of the previously gonzo multiverse-spanning scope of the book. But if we remove the eccentricities of “Casanova” then what are we left with? The world that Casanova is in now is still strange and dangerous, but it’s also surprisingly calm; it allows Casanova to be someone else entirely, as opposed to just pretending to be, but if Casanova is not entirely himself anymore and we’ve lost the strange personalities he used to surround himself with, then who is Casanova? Or even, what is “Casanova”?
Perhaps that’s the point; new beginnings and all that. Perhaps the absolute wonderful insanity of ‘Avaritia’ hasn’t left my system yet, making me unable to come down from the high that book gave me. The inherent calm and collected nature of this first outing where everything is only slightly dire makes for a different than expected read, though, and that’s something that is tough to critique easily. One of the most entertaining characteristics about previous volumes of “Casanova” was how intensely frantic it always felt, skittering about from character to plot point to action to moment with an acerbic wit and a wild sense of self from issue to issue; the previous trilogy of “Casanova,” in fact, could be defined by how repeatedly weird it got, how ethereal and unreal it would always seem, demanding multiple reads that gave away new information each time. When you take that away you change the book, and this defining characteristic is nowhere to be found in “Casanova: Acedia” — but if it is in here somewhere, as indicated by the ending of the issue, then it’s bursting at the seams trying to come out.
Continued belowOne of the pivotal moments of the issue involves a pool and a sort of dive into it, and that seems like a fair metaphor for what ‘Acedia’ is at the onset: the still and calm of a pool waiting for some bodies to dive into it, fighting for survival and upsetting the natural flow. The comic is a bit more recognizable as a “Casanova” comic by the last page (or even the back-up story, which we’ll get into soon), but the slow kick-off to the main event does seem uncharacteristic of the book, which has often been Fraction’s wildest.
Regardless of when is Casanova Quinn, though, one thing is for sure: Matt Fraction is absolutely at the top of his game. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that Fraction has this whole comic book thing figured out. I realize that may seem like a backwards sentiment after critiquing the somewhat “off” nature of the book, but if we look at ‘Acedia’ as a separate entity from the rest of “Casanova” then there’s no denying that his writing here is some of the best its ever been. Gone are the esoteric references and in-jokes, everything that previously made “Casanova” inaccessible to some, and in their stead is a thoughtful analysis of a character who has been through a lot and is likely suffering PTSD of some sort. “Casanova” has always felt like Fraction’s most personal work, something that allows him to say more about comics and the nature of comics (both in terms of our reading of them and his creation of them) than other titles, and it seems like with all the new things ‘Acedia’ brings us, a calmer and more collected Fraction is included in that packaged deal.
And that’s perhaps a good thing. It’s too early to really judge what ‘Acedia’ is or will be, but the way that Fraction is approaching the narrative sets up something darker than before. That thing I mentioned hovering around the edges of the book is both a positive as much as it is a potential negative; the uneasy feeling we get while reading it offers up a different experience than what we see elsewhere from Fraction, one that’s felt more in the gut than it is on any recognizable spectrum of emotion (or “the feels,” as some say). Reading this issue of “Casanova” leaves you as lost as the titular hero, struggling to make sense of a new landscape while questioning what of your memories still matter, and the transcendent relationship between reader and character is just as potent as that of creator and character. And if “Casanova” is a personal endeavor, then it’s easy to see the growth of Fraction as a writer here; someone moving from wild gags and insane moments to something more driven and focused. This brings up the previous “Casanova” conundrum, of course, but seeing the book evolve and change and grow as Fraction himself does as a creator certainly offers up a whole new brand of comic — one that acts as a timeline of its writer as much as it does its character.
After all, we can definitely see that evolution in Fabio Moon, who brings his absolute A-game to the series. Moon’s previous outing in the pages of “Casanova” (way back in 2007) was already that of a creator fairly self assured, but throw in a bit more than a half decade of work and we’re given a more refined take than we’ve ever had. Moon is a bit different from his brother Gabriel Ba in that Moon plays with realism in his work a bit more, imbuing characters with a certain sense of self found in wrinkles on their faces and weariness in their movement, and in ‘Acedia’ Moon balances the luxurious nature of high society and the fakest fucks that comprise it with a solemn place-displaced Casanova, sadness in the corner of his eyes. Moon’s characters are an absolute highlight of the book, flirting between the real and the fradulent, and if latter installments of the book allow for the same kind of off-the-wall characterization as “Avaritia” afforded Ba then we’re decidedly in for some treats (again, as teased by the final sequence).
Continued belowPlus, the book is just damned beautiful. Moon (and Ba, of course) is decidedly a modern master, so saying that he “brings his A-game” doesn’t seem to really do the talent on display in this issue any kind of justice; the whole book is practically a temple dedicated to his talent. When the issue reaches its high point in the latter half of the story, Moon presents us with one of his best action scenes yet. The motion that Moon is able to convey on the page is a thing of beauty, at times giving us both the mayhem expected of the series and a choreographed ballet of death befitting of the best Tony Jaa films. Even the landscape, with all it’s wobbling buildings and slightly off-model cars helps to endorse the feeling of uneasiness felt in Fraction’s writing. Add to that a fairly surreal landscape full of sigils, and there’s no doubt that as different as this volume of “Casanova” may be, we’re still on track to see one of the best comics of the year.
Cris Peter’s coloring in the book also deserves the utmost of praise. Continuing with the palette developed in “Avaritia”, Peter has highly developed the look of “Casanova” in this series by utilizing slightly off- oranges and teals. Everything about the colors of “Casanova” sets the book apart both from the other books on the shelf and its predecessors, let alone the new reality that Cas finds himself inhabiting; the aforementioned pool scene taking place both above and below water really helps to emphasize this point, while also giving Peter perhaps her single best coloring showcase of the book as the glow of the pool light is anything but natural. This is a world of Hollywood excess and fame, one that always feels bigger than it actually is in reality, and the distinct use of color really help to highlight the strange nature of this new world our hero finds himself lost in.
What’s perhaps most controversial — or at least surprising — about the issue is the backmatter. While the loss of Fraction’s intensely personal essays is felt, it has to be said that a comic by Michael Chabon and Gabriel Ba is nothing to thumb your nose at; in fact, it’s arguably a better comic than the main story, which is incredibly surprising. Certainly the strange nature of ‘Acedia’ in general plays into that, but the back-up comic feels more like “Casanova” than the main story does. Chabon fits well into the comic scene as if he’s been doing it for years (which I suppose makes sense; “Kavalie & Clay”, anyone?), penning a story that is as intricate as it is weird and hitting that pristine balance of chaos and focused narrative. The story helps to build the new universe Casanova has found himself in without using Casanova at all, and Chabon balances a subtle familiarity with the new and bizarre as if this is a lived-in world already; our boring and mundane world (by comparison to Casanova’s former haunts, at least) is reflected wonderfully in this short story of underground rock and roll, street musicians and Christmas time in the city.
Of course, the fact that Chabon’s story works so well is entirely thanks to the terrific work provided by Gabriel Ba, as well as the continued contribution of colorist Cris Peter. Ba has spent a bit more time in the world(s) of “Casanova” than his brother, so to see him add his own style and flair to our new home is an absolute treat. Ba’s style is bit less refined than Moon’s in terms of the hard lines that he uses and the the form of his cartooning displayed in the characterization; where Moon flirts between a sense of realism and the weird, Ba fully embraces a slightly more stylish form that is perfect for this magnificently funky form of comic bookery. It’s odd to see a short backmatter offering out-do the main course, but perhaps the more concise nature of the piece simply allows for Chabon and Ba to hit their rhythm more precisely — and in a comic where rhythm is as important as any drum beat in a rock song, that’s impeccable to “Casanova.”
Either way, “Casanova” has returned with a new style, once again solidifying its place at the top of the current comics pantheon. Smart, devious, slightly off but always on, “Casanova: Acedia” is a strong start to what will hopefully be the best volume of the series yet; with a creative team that is quite literally the best they’ve ever been, it’s hard to assume otherwise even with a slower start than usual. And while that #1 on the cover may be deceiving to some, feel free to dive on in — the water’s fine, dead body floating in the center of it and all.
Final Verdict: 7.5 – DEJA VU… I’ve met you in my dreams… DEJA VU… and I don’t know what it means…
