Escape

Whatever its other flaws, “Escape from New York” #1 exactly captures the spirit and cynicism of the 1981 movie that inspired it. The series picks up from the minute that the original film ends, just as the President’s switched tape begins to play, and follows Snake Plissken’s decision to its inevitable consequences. While the tone is spot-on, it’s unfortunately the best thing about the book. The artwork and script need polishing, and the colors don’t set much of a tone. The series has some fun, smart ideas in the wings, but it needs to execute on them a little better. Writer Christopher Sebela is pretty perfectly wired into the post-Watergate disillusionment and cynicism of John Carpenter’s original script. Lines like “America wants you dead, Snake. Don’t tell me the feeling isn’t mutual.” and “Anywhere the U.S. police force can’t go sounds pretty nice.” are full of indictment for a system that’s made itself unworthy of allegiance. (The President even riffs on Nixon with the claim t

Writer Jai Nitz and artist Greg Smallwood return to Dark Horse for “Dream Thief: Escape” #1, the second installment of their supernatural noir action comic. With an opening set in 1985, the first issue begins to pull back the curtain on the legacy of the Dream Thief and the mask associated with the station. Nitz and Smallwood have found the sweet spot in their collaboration where it truly appears to be a shared labor. Nitz is economical and smart with his story, keeping the adventure moving while avoiding excessive narration, while Smallwood works all aspects of the visual page: art, colors and lettering. The artist does a masterful job of making all of those components click together efficiently and effectively, choosing a more artistic manner to reveal locations and adjusting that with respect to the era — 1985 or present day — to guide the reader through the issue. Smallwood’s drawings are tremendous in their range of motion and emotion. His style emanates the emotional range of

Each Free Comic Book Day, something catches my attention and I find a read I never expected. This year, “The Intrepid EscapeGoat” is that title. For those of you who missed it, fret not; this issue does a great job introducing you to Thomas Fleet, escape artist extraordinaire. Accompanied by his “assistant,” Isis, who is a version of the goddess reincarnated in the body of a young girl, Fleet splits his time between performing feats of daring escapes and solving mysteries of marginal mystical origins. Following a performance that showcases his ability to escape from any trap, the EscapeGoat accepts the challenge to debunk a seance. That challenge is issued by a reporter and sets the adventure in motion for this issue. Brian Smith pulls double-duty in this issue, writing and drawing the adventures of the EscapeGoat and Isis. The art is fun, simple, and straightforward, and the characters remind me quite a bit of the work of Chris Houghton in “Reed Gunther.” There’s a definite Bruce