Advanced Review: Huck #1
“Huck #1 is evocative and romantic in the best way imaginable; together, Millar and Albuquerque have taken their individual talents as storytellers to a whole new level. Huck just feels like a masterpiece in the making.”
Huck #1
Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Rafael Albuquerque
Release Date: November 18th, 2015
“The test of any good fiction is that you should care something for the characters; the good to succeed, the bad to fail. The trouble with most fiction is that you want them all to land in hell together, as quickly as possible.” – Mark Twain
Artists can create relatively competent work for years without skipping a beat; they can impress and innovate as storytellers and they can consistently be “technically brilliant”. There are moments, however, when artists can find a new aspect of themselves in their creations. Mark Millar began this journey last year with the release of Starlight with Goran Parlov.
Millar has thrilled readers with any number of his provocative Creator-Owned stories from Wanted to Kick-Ass to Nemesis; he has been capably delivering high-octane, over-the-top “widescreen du jour” to readers for more than a decade. One read of Huck #1 will prove that Millar is a writer whose work is evolving. He is elevating his craft as a artist; he’s no longer a provocative storyteller…he’s an evocative storyteller.
The same can be said for Rafael Albuquerque and his work on Huck. Albuquerque has been turning heads for several years as co-creator of American Vampire and, well, just in general; fans might even conclude that the guy is the comic book artist equivalent of a rock star. Reading Huck with the specific intent of examining Albuquerque’s talent as a sequential storyteller, there is a noticeable graduation from his proven stylistic brilliance. There’s this subtle shift, an elevation, that seems to indicate that Rafael Albuquerque’s talent as a storyteller is progressing to a new level of artistic naturalism that is reminiscent of the work of the late, great Will Eisner.
Because this is an “Advanced Review”, there isn’t a whole lot to talk about in terms of content. For a first issue, it’s very fast-paced and the story requires very little front-loading because Millar’s minimalist story is beautifully illustrated by Albuquerque; these two creators seem to be built for one another in terms of their individual strengths. Just know that Huck, himself, is a very special young man and his hometown adores him and he loves them with a ferocity that will leave readers feeling warm and fuzzy when they are done reading. It’s also worth mentioning that Huck #1 is very timely with it’s portrayal of current global politics–and there is a potentially frightening scene that Millar deftly turns on it’s ear, disarming any tension with a twist of endearing magical realism.
In terms of overall execution as a “first issue” or introduction, Huck #1 is like a perfect Olympic high dive with minimal splash; this balanced story isn’t overwhelmingly action-packed or so impenetrable with mystery that it will leave readers perplexed, impatiently waiting for Huck #2–readers will just naturally want to continue reading. This is a book that the industry will talk about a great deal for years to come with it’s picturesque accessibility and heart-warming tone.
Mark this date on your calendars: November 18th, 2015; the date Huck #1 hits shelves. Tell your local retailer that you want to subscribe to this book. You will not regret it. Huck is evocative and romantic in the best way imaginable; together, Millar and Albuquerque have taken their individual talents as storytellers to a whole new level. Huck just feels like a masterpiece in the making.
Huck #1 hits shelves in November–so be sure to hit your LCS and reserve copies now. Those “Feel Good Movie” Variant Covers are absolutely glorious, aren’t they? Follow us on Twitter and follow Steve as well while you’re at it!
