Writers: Alan Moore and Peter Hogan
Artists: Yanick Paquette and Karl Story
Publisher: DC/Wildstorm/America's Best Comics
Believe it or not, this is the first comic book I've ever read that was written by Alan Moore. It's nothing groundbreaking, but still a fun little title, with much wit and humour along the way in the shape of a murder investigation.
Grant Halford is the Magnet, a superhero with a little "magnet problem" (you'll have to read the book to get that joke). He is actually the second half of the Magnet Detective Agency; unfortunately, his partner, Lance Lewis has been killed. Mr. Lewis was from the 21st century, often desiring to go back and see his long lost girlfriend, but did not have the technology to do so. He knew he was going to die at some point, thus the death is only a half-shock to Mr. Halford. The Magnet is unsuccessful as of yet in discovering the killer, but finds a good lead through the recommendation of the Green Ghost, a jade phantom who seemingly possesses much knowledge of present events.
The plot itself is good, but where this book really shines is in the script. The pacing is perfect for this type of story; not once did I feel like things were being dragged out. I also like the way that humour was placed to cleverly bring an indifferent reader into the story. There're also many different scenes here, from a wilderness, to a WWII battlefield, to a casino, to a morgue---the plot really takes you on a fun ride through much territory in twenty four pages. I can certainly see how Alan Moore is one of the best writers (or co-writers for that matter) of this age of comics.
Now the art comes from Yanick Paquette, who is certainly a rightful advocate of pragmatic styles. While I must admit I'm not familiar with his artwork, he is extremely talented. He perfectly captures the girls' facial expressions to match the script in the bedroom scene, and draws a very realistic portrait of the events and settings in question. I particularly enjoyed how Mr. Paquette's faces are detailed while not overdone, and how the colouring perfectly matches each scene. Also look for an excellent rendering of the casino in Las Vegas, and the scene with the fortune teller towards the end.
This is really a fun little read, and certainly an excellent example of the comic genre. While it's not something to run right out and grab, it's a nice alternative to a delayed title or if you simply enjoy well done comics. Just make sure you don't have any metal objects on you…
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