Writers: Christopher Golden & Tom Sniegoski
Artists: Paul Azaceta, Ron Riley (colors)
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Before I proceed with my actual review for Talent #3, I want to apologize to Christopher Golden and Tom Sniegoski. In my review of issue #1, I had pointed out their apparent mimicry of such pop culture phenomenons as Lost, The Da Vinci Code, and Unbreakable (Well, two out of three are pop culture phenoms...). After the review was posted, Mr. Golden wrote me back to point out the errors of my analysis, stating that he and Mr. Sniegoski had written the story as a TV pilot long before Lost or The Da Vinci Code had even existed. I now realize that the pop culture similarities in Talent are more the machinations of Boom’s marketing machine rather than any deliberate action by the authors. So, apologies all around, and congratulations on making such an involving comic book series. Now, on with the review!
Talent #3 continues the compelling story of Nicholas Dane and the strange "talents" he has inherited from the deceased passengers of a plane crash. The breakneck pace and oodles of conspiracy will keep you riveted throughout issue #3, though I don’t see how they wrap up this mini-series in the next issue. However, I have been fooled already by Talent (see above), so maybe Golden and Sniegoski have some more thrilling tricks up their sleeves.
The mob, the Vatican, a shadowy agency: Talent has all the makings of a great television show, particularly with the many juicy elements playing hopscotch with each other. Take the character of Krause, who I think is the most intriguing character besides Dane. At the beginning of the issue, he meets up with Payne and Abel (agents of the Cardinals. Nice wordplay!), who are interrogating the husband of one of the dead passengers who Nicholas has recently called. Well, the interrogation must have gone badly, as the husband has been ruthlessly butchered by the emotionless Mr. Payne. Krause reacts like any normal person would, as he falls back in revulsion at the bloody scene. Not only does this display a certain humanity in his character, but it also shows a clearness of thought that will certainly aid him in his mission. Also, such interesting sound bites as “For God’s sake, what now?” or “My day is made”(He does work for Cardinals, after all) give Krause an attitude that makes me think of Special Agent Kellerman from Prison Break or Mr. McGee from the Hulk television show (No, I’m not claiming that Golden or Sniegoski stole this...). He’s smart, frighteningly relentless, and willing to see the job to its conclusion. Krause is the only one who is adding up the many unique attributes of Dane into one crazy conclusion: that he has inherited the talents and abilities of everyone on that doomed flight. Also, we learn at the very end why he is so interested in this apparent miracle, as he had a direct hand in the plane crash while performing some Vatican housecleaning. Combine this Catholic intrigue with the Agent of the Balance and dead souls demanding Dane deliver some closure, and you have a multi-layered story that is challenging yet engrossing due to the rapid-fire movement from panel to panel, page to page (Though the pace is slowed a bit in this issue by some very wordy panels).
Once again, Paul Azaceta does a fine job on the artwork, creating some powerful images that ignite the story effectively. The panel showing the hooded Dane as he is about to confront the abusive mob boss is great in its simplicity, as all we really see are the determined eyes and the toothless grin that are anticipating this deviant’s end. Also, the progressive close-up on the panels featuring Dane/Marcus taking bloody revenge displayed rage and revenge better than words ever could. And the black-and-white memories within Dane’s head were appropriately rendered, almost like a grainy home movie. Azaceta’s art continues to impress me, though I do have a message for colorist Ron Riley: tone down on the blue (Flip through the issue quickly. You’ll see!).
The only aesthetic problem with Talent #3 is the same problem I pointed out in my previous review: Golden and Sniegoski occasionally write some stiff, formalized dialogue. The climactic scene of the issue with Dane/Marcus, the mob boss, and Marcus’s wife was limited in emotionally complexity because of some stereotypical and unnecessary dialogue, such as “You know who I am?”, “You can’t do this to me,” or “Now it’s over.” But, overall, Golden and Sniegoski’s dialogue has improved from issue #1, particularly in the opening scene (teens really do talk like that) and some of the scenes with Krause and his cronies. And, similar to the dialogue, this issue of Talent is stronger than the two preceding it, which would be even better if I didn’t know that the mini-series ends with issue #4. How are they going to tie up these loose ends? We’ll see, I guess.
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