COMICS: A TOWN CALLED DRAGON, An In-Depth EF Review

Editorial Biases

I tend to prefer comic books and graphic novels that are off the beaten path. Even for comics published by mainstream publishers, sometimes you get relatively unique pieces that are not really the norm. We're flooded by superheroes with brightly colored uniforms, exquisitely simple secret identities and a variety of powers, weapons and technology to boot. It's nice sometimes to get something different where the concept of less-is-more almost reigns dominant. 

Those are the comics I tend to love the most, because they make big statements while understating their premise, their cause, their purpose for telling their story. Whenever I get my hands on a comic like this, I settle in for a comfy experience. All I need now is a good cup of Cuban coffee from my favorite corner cafe and i'm ready to dissappear into whatever world the writer is leading me into!

This graphic novel is written in a very familiar style that spans present, past and near future in terms of how it chooses to flesh out its principal characters. A wonderful styling for a story that began over a thousand years ago. Without wasting too much time on the overall history, the writer allows the audience to accept that Vikings may have been the harbingers of doom for the dragons of their time, while still conveying the apocalyptic danger these creatures pose for mankind. A narrative flashback takes us to their time just as our present day heroes were in the throws of battle--parallel to their plight. 

We don't necessarily follow any one character as a narrative usually suggests, we follow a varied group of individuals in a small town called 'Dragon' that has its routes in Viking myth turned into a minor, if not, cheesy tourist attraction. Cooper's Diner, is our main setting for our fated characters to intertwine at the base of a mountain that would be ground zero for a dragon's return.

While at first you wonder if there is something amiss with a group of archeologists who end up releasing the dragon back into the world, it's not quite clear. Interesting just the same as the somewhat light tone of the story becomes increasingly darker with every turn of the page; especially once the drake is free to rampage.

While this is an original story it is seemingly steeped in a variety of inspirations. The first that will come to mind to many readers is going to be the 2002 Christian Bale film, Reign of Fire. A film where a mining operation stumbles too deeply and unearths a massive fire-breathing drake that gives birth to the next generation of dragons that nearly wipes out all of mankind. The next set of inspirations that becomes awkwardly clear if you're a fan of general horror and monster films--Tremors, a 1990 film about a small town that is under siege by large worm-like creatures that are burrowing under the ground. While this graphic novel bares no resemblance to the 'monsters' in Tremors, the random archetypes of characters do. Making it a more adult and dark humor variation of the beloved Breakfast Club scenario of ragtag misfits being pulled together in a situation that otherwise would have never seen them together.

While many of the characters in this story seem to have a lot of proximity and familiarity there is still an air of randomness and peculiarity to their grouping in this situation. 

While all of the above isn't essentially a bad thing, it sits in this category of my review because this book is unfortunately not completely original. Likely more toward an inspired lovechild of the stories of yesteryear, even if conceived and subsequently born from subconscious invention.
 

I always try to find objective issues with everything I read to have a fair and balanced view in my reviews, short of a minor typo I noticed, which I pointed out to Mr Winick at the end of my interview, there isn't anything I could argue as 'Ugly' in my review. 

If I enter into psycho-pedantic mode there is a similarity in many of the characters, like Mickey and Wilson. Looking at them generally it's hard to tell their ages, you simply presume old or older. Wilson is also essentially a Vietnam Vet and looking at him, it's hard to determine his 'grizzle' or a stereotypical PTSD if any. This is extremely unnecessary or properly effective as an argument. But I threw it out there to allow others to make some correlations to the style the artist uses in the features of his facial art. It may simply be his signature for a group of people or his way of creating relational art. But at first without context it seems odd.
 

The Great

“How'd you like a little dragon? It farts smoke.”
 

This story is full of awesome little items of sub-context and well used exposition that makes the story visceral and immersive. A variety of little items that can almost be argued to be commercial or production value pre-thought, but I'm almost certain, after speaking with the writer, that it's all part of the development of the characters, little items of humor and humanity. 

The development of the characters is short and not extensive but is paced successfully in a pattern that unfolds as it goes forward. There isn't a lot of spin-mockery toward what the writer wants to reveal. It is almost blatant and direct to the course of the characters forward progress. I was thoroughly engaged learning via glimpses who these characters were. The overuse of expository characters does not seem apparent even though there are many expository characters used to structure and frame our principals. 

The mystery of a few varied characters is also subdued by moments of insane flashes, coupled by moments of thrilled anxiety, almost crossing the read over to that of a horror story. Highly enjoyable, especially in the opening pages where the story carried the reader to the beginning without wasting too much time getting back to the present. Even if, as I suspect, the opening images are later going to be revealed to be the closing moments of this amazing series. 

“I don't think these assholes are terrorists”
 

I've written before about the little details that make films, comics, book, etc. amazing or awful due to those written/stated details or the lack-there-of. One of those details is the use of language, the use of colloquialisms and how it's used in minor details that can easily be forgiven or not used at all; but makes a story that much stronger when it is present. This comic uses a variety, Mid-Western dialect, German, various slangs and accents beautifully. While they could have easily ignored the German and gone straight into English by explaining it away in some random mechanic, I respect it more for the use of the language and how it intertwined with the story. I also value the connections the writer makes with the reader by doing this. Couple that with the gorgeous illustrations that completely bring every character, their emotions and what I would describe as micro-expressions in their faces, and you have an apt description of how great this first entry is into this comic series.

I also greatly appreciate a comic property that does not hold back with what it is trying to do. Sensical purposes for the varied characters, their natures, their manner of being. The intensity of the art matches the growing tension of the story. The frantic Mickey who is seemingly dismissed by various tertiary characters and is the proverbial 'Paul Revere' crying out about the danger approaching; only to not realize he's firing blanks into a dull crowd, missing, yet being closer to his mark than he realized. 

This book beautifully crosses through various genre's of storytelling without forcing its way into them and keeps the reader engaged as it treks across this span. The climax of this first issue happily crosses over into a full horror scenario which is only a preview of the coming rainstorm of blood that Winick and Shaw are going to deliver. 

The only scenario that may hurt this book is (literally) if the audience perceives this work to be unoriginal. While I can easily argue that it's definitely original and unique, I am also objective enough to say it has a lot of similarities to various other properties. Even if it is not placed together in a Frankenstein mish-mash of literary sight and sound this may be the one real argument against a comic like this. But I suspect most will love this book as much as I have during my time reading (and re-reading) this graphic novel. 

Depending on what you have thought of Winick's previous award winning work, most of which is highly controversial, from HIV positive heroes to characters who are openly gay with their struggles, as he wrote in Green Arrow and Green Lantern (respectively). You may have an opinion on his writing in general. I've read some arguments by readers that they didn't like his time with Kyle Rayner but this is all subjective. I think (for the most part) we have all loved Winick's pivotal work on various DC properties (Infinite Crisis, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, etc.) and won't unnecessarily judge this book by any skewed opinion of his past work on a completely unrelated genre, with completely unrelated characters.

But then again our fandom is varied and complex...
 

4.0 out of 5 Comic Book Movie Geeks

For a breakdown of the Geek Rating System, please click on the geeks above! Be gentle, they're fragile.

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A Town Called Dragon releases tomorrow September 24th, 2014 and will be available everywhere comics are sold. Issue #2 will be available October. Did you enjoy this review? Are you familiar with writer Judd Winick's work? With Geoff Shaw's amazing illustrations? We want to hear from you! Comment, share, tweet, pin, form your words out of Lego pieces, whatever tickles your fancy. Don't forget to hit that great big Red Thumb in the sky (or in this case on the page), we love you more everytime you click on it!

By @EmanuelFCamacho