Creator: Dave Stewart
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Ashish Padlekar
Publisher: Virgin Comics
Ian Dormouse suffers from blackouts. He’ll wake up in strange places with no memory of how he got there. Recently, he awoke in Moscow watching a stripper with an octopus on her shoulder only he can see. Ian gets a job at the strip club as a mind reader. But what began as an act becomes real, as he discovers the power to really see people’s dreams and their colored “auras.” A fake gypsy suggests Ian is a “walk-in”: a person often inhabited by a spirit and used to do work on Earth. Now he’s being followed by identical twins who talk like they can also see what Ian sees.
Honestly, this is better than I thought it would be. Usually when a celebrity puts their name on a comic, it turns out to be a half-assed mess of clichés and B-grade art. (See Mr. T and the T-Force or anything from Techno-Comix.) But this is pretty good. This issue is primarily about Ian discovering his powers and wondering what they mean. There isn’t much plot beyond Ian seeing weird stuff, but that’s enough for now. We’re being introduced to the mystery and the people involved. It’s a small cast though, and I’d like to see it expanded in later issues.
The art here is great. It reminds me of a Ralph Bakshi movie. The people are very expressive, and the environments quite detailed. Padlekar and Patil display a level of talent and professionalism usually seen in animation. The colors tend to look muddy, but it fits the urban environment. Most of the story also takes place at night. The whole comic looks like it could be a cartoon. Very good work.
An interview with Dave Stewart at the end of the issue reveals his inspiration for the story. Supposedly, he had a near-death experience while working as a memory man in a German burlesque house. It’s an odd concept, but it’s building quietly. Usually a comic with a magic premise throws a lot of weird stuff and magic double talk at the reader right away. Walk-In takes a slower approach. I think it works better. This isn’t about some secret war between spirits or a prophecy being fulfilled (yet). It’s about the strange things happening to one guy and his attempts to sort them out. I’m curious to see where the story’s going.
What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!