Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Elephantmen #51
Image Comics
Starkings & Medellin
Elephantmen begins a new arc and based on the cover, it seems, is starting over. With a big, shinny "#1" printed on the cover it appears the book is beginning anew, but to what extent? What I found while reading the issue is that Starkings is taking the book back to basics and as a result he tells a fantastic story that is mostly free of the fifty issues worth of continuity. I enjoyed this comic a lot and I think this is a great addition to this series and a nice spot for the curious to pick up the book. I definitely recommend this comic.
The comic is really simple. A man and woman are investigating a murder (or suicide) crime scene. As they banter back and forth what they think happened they find their counterpart from the world of Elephantmen detectives: Hip Flask.
Hip brings his usual charm to the book instantly and the rest of the comic works through the beginnings of the plot but told through some excellent dialogue between Hip and the humans. Everything you need to know about how Hip operates and what makes him tick is presented in this comic and it works perfectly.
The comic finds a nice level of chemistry between the characters that really rises above the science fiction elements to the series. This is a minor shift from the previous issues as I always felt the science fiction kind of took center stage above anything else. This comic really throws the reader into a small mix of characters that play wonderfully off of each other. And Starkings knows how to throw the reader a great cliffhanger to bring you back for more.
Nobody draws voluptuous women quite like Axel Medllin. However, he's developed a great knack for drawing amazing visuals of the beasts and specifically when they square off. The visuals in this book are the usual high level that takes the reader into the futuristic world but keep the characters grounded in a reality the reader can relate to. The book just looks stunning.
A new beginning is definitely how I would bill this book. It doesn't erase anything that's come before but just puts one of the main characters in a different corner of the universe. If you love science-fiction mixed with some hard boiled characters and some strong character work then you should pick this up. I am pretty sure you are going to love what you find and I know the visuals and the story is going to entertain you. Come on in, the water's fine.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
