First impression is wow this looks awesome. The art in this issue is spectacular, definitely not what I am used to from Bluewater. I’ll be honest the art is what usually keeps me away and I probably would never have looked twice at this and that would have been a big mistake on my part.
We open this up with a group of kids playing paintball. Mind you it took me a minute to realize it was paintball and not some sort of military assault, which also is a very good thing. Means this isn’t going to be anything I could have expected there will be twists, turns and I will need to pay close attention. I really rather like books like that, the ones that make you think, pay attention and suck you into the story. Also that part of this story takes place in modern times yeah I’m good with that too. Oh and the helicopter telling the kids to leave an ominous warning of things to come perhaps? Alas no just kids playing where they shouldn’t it seems.
The scene where his portrait is painted is breathtaking. The gold leaf inlay that highlights the bottom of the page did more to say the time period than the actual date on top of the page. The difference in style and mood was highly evident and its depiction seemed to be done with ease.
Now here is something I wasn’t prepared for and thoroughly enjoyed, that the story has been updated for a new generation and by using the obscenely rich, obnoxious and overly privileged. Dorian is living with a family in New York and they are upper echelon wealthy, the father while on business in England noticed a shipment being sent to America from his ancestor Dorian Gray. Curiouser and curiouser as the saying goes and he sent Dorian a key to see if there was anything of family value he wised to keep before the contents were sold off to settle an old debt.
So at the Port Authority they rummage through the container. Dorian and his “brother”/best friend and the dialogue here is pretty darn good. Loved the NCIS reference as well as the DeNozo or McGhee character references they really do something to solidify current pop culture. I also hope that they keep as much of this container as they can if for nothing else than because it’s bizarre and cool at the same time. Though finding the portrait of Dorian, his ancestor who just happens to be his double, all mangled and horrific was a dramatic ending.
I liked how the characterization was throughout the book. The scene’s at school and the extra credit event plus his apparent disdain for things that don’t interest him. He’s a complex kid who wants to fit in but I can tell he really doesn’t, no matter how hard he’s trying. It is an interesting dilemma and one that so far is being told extremely well.
I am looking forward to seeing how Dorian reacts as he learns the secrets of his family. The demon who was there during the painting I am sure haunts the Gray line and our current Dorian is trying to find as much about his family’s history as he can. Their meeting seems inevitable and what happens along the way should be good supernatural fun!
This issue right here should teach us never to judge a companies work by one or two offerings.
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