I have to admit I dig the who idea of putting real and fictional victorian figures into crazy fantasy situations. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is the prime example of course, but there are plenty of new things popping up. I’ve read comics with Teddy Roosevelt, Tesla and Einstein and I’ve lived them all but this latest idea is sheer genius. A version of John Merrick the Elephant Man (renamed Joeseph for the comic) as a comic book superhero.
The book unapologetically has been modeled in look and writing style after Hellboy. It has all of the whimsy, drama, intrigue and horror of those comics. In fact Merrick like Hellboy is a monster amongst men, trying to find his way in a world that cannot fathom him while battling arcane evils along the way. It’s all very familiar but in spite of this I found myself enjoying it. Hellboy has no doubts he is an otherworldly monster while Merrick knows he is a man with the appearance and abilities that make him seem to be a monster.
The first panel gives us a brief blurb to catch the reader up on who and what the Elephant Man is and some info regarding the previous issues. It is not comprehensive though as Merrick has a pair of apparently close companions (close enough to help him fight off armed bandits and eldritch horrors) but I have no idea who they are other than one Dr Treves, the man in history who documented the case of John Merrick and was reported a good friend to him. It turns out all of Merrick’s companions are part of the Masonic Lodge but Treves is obviously working at a much higher level within the order. There is a plot within these higher echelons to use Merrick and mystical means for the benefit of the empire and the fact that a man Merrick considered to be a friend and benefactor would be involved in this deceit leads to strained relationships. Its also revealed that there are other agencies working against both Merrick and the Masons from the shadows.
This two part story does a nice job of building both excitement and tension while adding to the dynamic of the characters involved and leaving the reader wanting more despite it feeling a lot like reading over some lost Hellboy script. Now don’t get me wrong, this book isn’t a rip off but it’s not exactly trying to stray to far away from what has been done in other comics.
ART
The art is pretty much a clone of Mignola’s style, period. This is both a good and bad thing, as I really think homages in style or influences are fine but this is nearly a copy and part. Yes these are original drawings but I can see not just a clear take on Mignola’s stye of rendering figures but also his page layouts, flow and other tropes of his work. I like the art but I think its because it made me wish Mignola was doing it. Parker obviously has talent but I couldn’t help but wish that it was more of its own thing. If you look at the work of artists for instance who are heavily influenced by Jack Kirby for instance like Erik Larsen or John Romita Jr you will never mistake their work for that of the “King”“ but you can see how much impact he had own their style and yet they still stand on their own are uniquely talented artists. I wish that was the case here.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I liked the comic well enough to want more because the Elephant Man works perfectly as a Victorian superhero and the series is building up to something big but I wish it was a bit more unique in its approach. 2.5 out of 5!
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
REVIEW: MERRICK THE SENSATIONAL ELEPHANT MAN #7 & #8
Writer: Tom Ward
Art: Luke Parker
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