I may have said this before, but one of the things I love about writing for Crusaders is that I get to see a lot of different types of comic. Gone are the days where the superhero held sway over the masses. Now there is a whole range of genres from a whole range of publishers. Whilst companies like Image, Dark Horse and Vault are known for their idiosyncratic catalogue of books, for me BOOM!, who are known more as a licensing publisher, put out some surprising alternatives to Power Rangers and vampires with a soul. In this case an almost true story of the first female detective.
Better Angels follows a real life Kate Warne who answered a job advert in 1856 to be a private detective. Kate was able to demonstrate how a woman could find out things, could go places that a man in a heavily male dominated world could not. Kate became so prominent that she was involved in a case involving the president-elect Abraham Lincoln. This book then is an extrapolation of said facts, told in a manner to entertain maybe more than educate.
The book is written by Jeff Jensen, who has written a number of books including stories for Captain America and Love is Love. Better Angels reads like mish-mash of old world sensibilities and some modern day attitude. In doing so, Kate comes across larger than life, more like someone who has a greater grasp of the world than those living in it. Part of this will be due to the fact she looked for work in as a detective and part is artistic licence. Jensen doesn’t shy away from the societal differences of yesteryear with accurate portrayals and worries of those deemed less a whole person in the eyes of the law. The dialogue is full of witty observations, mainly from Kate under the withering glare of assumption and the boundaries of the time. The setups are also full of slapstick when viewed with our more sophisticated world views.
The art is provided by George Schall who has another book out this week in Made in Korea from the aforementioned Image Comics. On that book I compared Schall to Raymond Briggs. Here, with the benefit of historical context, there is a more Guy Davis feel to it which feels more substantial than the Image book. Some of the poses, the movements through the panels are similar, but with a lighter tone of story, Schall’s works becomes more light-hearted. Schall also supplies the colors with a deft touch which further impresses me with its murky backgrounds and lavish settings rolling into a cohesive environment. AndWorld Design delivers a font that screams “of its time” that adds to overall feel of the book.
For people who enjoyed books like The Butcher of Paris written by Stephanie Phillips, then this book is certainly right up your street. Of course, if you’re a fan of great storytelling that captures the imagination and encapsulates the strength of a woman wiles and ways, then give this book a try; you won’t be disappointed.
Writing- 5 Stars
Art & Colors – 5 Stars
Overall – 5 Stars
Written by; Jeff Jensen
Art & Colors by; George Schall
Letters by; AndWorld Design
Published by; BOOM! Studios
Author Profile
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I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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