I am legion 3 - the Three monkeys

With "the Three monkeys", Humanoids have completed their "I am legion" trilogy, which has since been published in one"integral" volume in France. Even "the Devil's due", the licensee of the translated American edition has solicited a trade paperback version of their iteration of the project, which was a 6 issue mini-series cropped to fit the more traditional comic book format. Unfortunately, the series has so far gone under the radar for a lot of the American audience, despite the presence of John Cassaday, perhaps the most sought after superhero artist today. In any event, he has completed his work on Fabien Nury's scripts, making "I am legion" at least the ambitious project that introduced the artist to a new audience.

As a conclusion, "the Three monkeys" almost takes it's tone from the German resistance operation centered around the Valkyrie protocols, that it alludes to in one plot strand. All of the hopelessly overcomplicated plans, that the characters made as a last resort, end up entangled in nothing less than a massacre. The creators have spent two dense volumes getting to this point, and in Romania all pretense of control and careful plotting gets abandoned for a very personal and chaotic finish. It is certainly unexpected to see it all converging in such a dark mess of zombies and wolves, straight out of Stoker's "Dracula".

It seems almost as if the rage clouds the last vestiges of morality for these characters, as they are set against one another, not even trying to survive. In this vein, the noblest of the freedom fighters charges the army on bloody soil, with the sole purpose of trying make some sense of the circumstances. Nury and Cassaday concentrate their big showdown on a situation which is certain not to last, but in turn promising not to left anything standing afterwards. Every shred of compassion, every human feeling that the rare few of these people have that hasn't to do with war gets taken away from them, and ends up being manipulated in the most despicable ways imaginable.

And while all of this was foreshadowed in the previous volumes, there was no real hint that "I am legion" will turn into such a hideously gruesome story. In effect, the book serves to sum up the darkest urges of World War 2 and dramatize them on the scene of a supernatural thriller. It's just that a huge shift occurs somewhere in the middle of the storyline, as the long winded play of the intelligence agencies fades to the background, having set up the bloodbath involving Dracula's origins. When they get to "the Three monkeys", the creators seem like they have little use for the precision and architectural detail any longer.

The careful use of acronyms almost fades to a white nose, as Nury and Cassaday have their British investigator resort to threats and brutal violence, after all of his team's investigative work has literally blown up in their faces. It's as if the creators are intent to keep that entire part of the story separate, as if crossing over to the continent would mean certain death for these characters. They are, in turn, the only ones who piece together the entire truth, and through grave danger, actually have a chance at a normal life, after the Legion affair. Their survival is paralleled by a much darker and conflicted path, that of the pair of girls who have left Romania for Cyprus. The boat's passage closes the story with a twist ending, that at once both homages the book's influences, and implies that the events since have more or less followed the autenthic timeline.

The real world connection is solidified through the continued balanced use of historical players, who appear throughout the series. Once again, the actions of renowned military men make sense, and don't take away from the spotlight on Nury and Cassaday's characters, except when it comes to plot concerns. Fabien Nury never feels smug enough to fall for the common trap of using his and Humanoids' ideas as an easy explanation for truths about World War 2. He treats the period setting as immovable as the local geography, while exploring it by using the genre conventions as the story engine.

Of course, bearing the weight of visualizing the whole tale, once again John Cassaday is forced to make a few rash choices. With "the Three monkeys" being poised to carry a whole lot of well choreographed action shots, some of the surrounding figure work gets slighted, with some of the animals feeling a bit too on the model. This is nothing strange when one is to take into account his career, as superhero comics certainly train their artists to a different esthetic, than that of a period piece.

Still, for most of the time Cassaday seems perfectly suited to the semi-realism of "I am legion". His classical adventure strip tendencies that were on full display in pulpy "Planetary" enable the artist to maintain a distinctively rich, movie-like quality to the visuals, that really helps to convince the reader of the scope of situation. And yet, such an expensive, distinctively layered look, once again ends up hindering the story in a small way, by nature of Cassaday's similar male figures. It is unfortunate to be taken out of the artist's dynamic layouts even for a moment to contemplate how one of the many players in Nury's conspiracy reappers, after seemingly being killed a mere pages before. Discovering that it was a different character altogether only serves to foster confusion, but it's of no real consequence, taking into account that "the Three monkeys" spend most of it's time resolving the plot in a very direct manner.

In the end, the reader is treated with so many of Cassaday's visuals, all finely detailed, with the same amount of attention payed to the characters, cars and backgrounds, that it's easy to see why both DC and the Devil's due saw fit to publish the series on the strength of the artist's name alone. Taken as a whole, it's difficult to foresee the future of "I am legion". It is at every point a professional work, but it's difficult to gauge whether all of the energy that went into to the project eventually turned it into something that's more than the sum of it's parts. For all of it's supernatural intrigue, and the well researched period detail, the biggest difference that Nury's and Cassaday's effort makes when compared to similar offerings, is in it's detailed execution. But, sometimes, having to collaborate closely with a big publishing operation such as Humanoids, can turn what could have been a much more ambitious tale, into an endeavouring that is solely defined by the level of craft applied.

"I am legion" is certainly a work that stays it's hand in asking the bigger questions, and avoids taking the chance to delve into the nature of comics as a medium for telling broader, more important stories. It ends up being a project limited by it's own premise, that all but forces it to treat World War 2 not as the most important event of the 20th century, but a platform for adding just slightly more depth to a genre offering, told by the creators who show all signs that they could be producing much more poignant fare.

I am legion 2: Vlad

Humanoids publishing's "Vlad" is the middle part of the "I am legion" trilogy of albums, all done by Fabien Nury and John Cassaday. Having previously went to great lengths to introduce the story, the creators are content to treating it's central part as a showcase for their styles, while solidifying what was previously largely hinted upon. The resulting tale is much more concentrated on action, while admittedly constantly switching through various subplots, as they start to converge. Ultimately, the plot hinges on the story's central villain identified as a familiar fictional culture bogeyman, albeit with a twist that manages to ground him into Third Reich mysticism.

By now, the use of the seminal horror icon Dracula has been filtered through various pop culture sensibilities, making Nury and Humanoids adamant at sticking to the historical facts as much as possible. Yet, to justify the supernatural thriller at the heart of the plot, the writer reworks the vampire legend, by using the myth to provide a set up that doesn't stand too much at odds with the 1942 setting. These elements were present from the very first volume, but, somehow, tying them much more decisively to the legend of Dracula runs the risk of turning "I am legion" to a series existing on the outskirts of a much better known phenomenon. After all, the reader was invited to a spy tale tinged with strange happenings taking their inspiration from the Bible, and having the story midstream stand revealed as a follow-up to "Dracula" brings in the reader's feelings about the horror icon. Such a high concept could even derive of their enjoyment of the work at hand, considering the reader's previous experiences with some of the many takes on the vampire concept.

From their standpoint, Nury and Cassaday treat the villain as a completely new character, covering the ground in presenting the real world Tepes' medieval past, and ignoring the tropes of Bram Stoker's novel that popularized him. After all, Vlad is not the book's only antagonist, as most of the "I am legion" story hinges on him reacting to Nazi activity regarding a related phenomena in his native Romania. And for all of his manipulations seeming too byzantine in the story's first volume, there is little cause for concern on the part of the reader this time around. And not only does "Vlad" clearly delineates between the hostiles, as they are set up for the climax in the finale, it significantly advances the plot on it's own. Taking this into account, it's all the more impressive how the creative team manage to cover three separate plots in different countries, while still providing a heavily action oriented story.

Considering the cohesiveness of the whole "I am legion" project, it would be unfair to complain about the second part lacking the novelty of the debut. Once the story was introduced though, it paradoxically raised the stakes for this middle outing, thus making the rare Cassaday panel done in a slightly looser style stand out, and some of the dialogue feeling a little extraneous and overworked. Once again, the scope of the project makes for a slight confusion, as the artist simply didn't create enough body types to support Nury's numerous players, leading to a potential confusion, when it comes to a couple of minor characters. On the other hand, his talent for body language seems much more natural this time around, with the awkwardness and bordering on caricature finding more place among his realist backdrops.

Laura Martin's colors somehow manage to turn this chapter of the story even darker and moodier, which is fitting considering the number of casualties as all sides start making direct attacks. Still, for all the advantage the forces gain by operating under the cover of the night, the artist doesn't use this excuse to skip out on the background detail, with even the darkest shadows hiding reasonably detailed layers of shacks and shrubs, growing among the snow. From the start, the artist has taken to his French assignment with a level of commitment that makes a rare repeated panel or a photographic detail in the background a completely harmless detail on amid over sized pages used to convey the highest possible amount of information.

With the change of pace, a slightly more dynamic layout peers in, with pages rarely sporting more than five panels, making every departure stand out like a double page spread in the more traditionally formatted American comic book. The long set up commando operation is undoubtedly the central action motive in the book, and unexpectedly, it feels the most artificial. Seeing the unit's highly unlikely plan working from step to step regardless of the timetable gives curiously seems like typical World War 2 entertainment package until it's unsettling climax. Interestingly, scripting this key sequence in such a way, Nury enables the book to spotlight the human tragedy of two smaller violent acts, with much more visceral and realistic consequences.

Likewise, in a book presenting a key German general as a highly malevolent and power-hungry monster of a man, it's refreshing to find a different point in one of the key cast members. Among so many cold-hearted people, it's perhaps slightly unexpected to suddenly find alternate sexuality casually dropped in as a subject, especially considering the material covered, but it still works to help define a character that was thus far used even more economically than most. Divested from their personal feelings, the cast of "Vlad" is once again constantly reminded that it is simply neither the time nor the place to show their emotions, as some of the rare ones that did before end up paying a bitter price during unexpected circumstances.

In the end, "I am legion" is still in many ways the same book it was in it's debut volume. "Vlad" continues the same sense of nuanced story that the reader has to both try their best to follow, and then trust the creators to make sense of at a future point, with a rare real World War 2 player playing a small, yet crucial role in it. The heavily researched period is once again presented with utmost care yet expanded even more so that the superstition preys upon it even more fiercely. The rich, over sized pages provide for enough room that the scene shifts regularly occur in the last panel, before reconnecting with another strand of the grim narrative, showing ordinary people trying to get a grip on the world gone indigo dark, under the Nazi reign.

I am legion 1: the Dancing faun

"I am legion" is a French comic series, published in three volumes in France by the Humanoids publishing. Humanoids is perhaps best known as the American counterpart of Humanoides Associes, the publisher associated with Metal Hurlant magazine, and the subsequent releases of creators such as Jodorowsky and Bilal. In any event, their science fiction-inclined sensibility was always in tune with the American popular culture, which has lead to the publisher teaming up French writer Fabien Nury with the American superstar artist John Cassaday. Realizing the possibility of the crossover audience, DC first started serializing the American translation of "I am legion" during their association with "Humanoids publishing", but it was only recently, that "the Devil's due" got the contract, that all three volumes of the series were finally presented in America.

Reading "the Dancing faun", it's easy to see why the original publisher found it fitting to pair these two creators together. Namely, in developing the stylings of "I am legion", Nury sticks to a very precise and complicated story, that needs all of it's audience attention to capture all of it's nuances, which are integral to the plot at hand. Fittingly, he is aided by Cassaday, a photo-realistic artist taking no shortcuts in getting across the story's settings and many characters. Together, they make the title what it is, a rare comics depiction of occult period piece, a genre most commonly found in the offspring of spy fiction.

Plot-wise, "the Dancing faun" is almost mechanical, in it's dynamic consisting of two long action scenes that both open and close the book, with a shorter chase scene in the middle, as a break from the long conversation pieces. The cold, extremely serious tone involved in the proceedings goes to show how much the creators value their assignment, and the care taken into it. It's is to be noted that the publisher retains all the rights for "I am legion" and it's characters, which stands to reason that "the Humanoids" had at least made some of the major decisions regarding the property's development, if not the basic story points of the initial pitch. Likewise, Nury almost treats his story as if it's an elaboration of a simple idea the reader is already familiar with, which may lead to an initial confusion.

This kind of a story, which starts right in the middle of the latest stage of the complicated proceedings involving a set of characters that have long defined previous relationships among themselves is typically posed almost as a challenge to the readers. Having no new reader identification characters, and being introduced to the setting only at the beginning of the final, most interesting stage of previously alluded to agendas certainly can seem alienating, but Nury and Cassaday still manage to be clear enough that the discerning reader will get all the right clues in all of the scenes, with some of the initial confusion being deliberately used for effect.

Having said that, it's still arguable how well the first volume stands on it's own. Because, "the Dancing faun" doesn't really offer a huge amount of payoff for all of the dozen characters involved. It starts by hinting a huge conspiracy, and more or less leaves the reader with the impression of it's borders and some of the occult "rules" involved. This is particularly problematic considering how much emphasis is put on a particular operation that is to start in mere days from the constantly displayed time during scene shifts. In fact, getting to the fight scene that closes the opening volume actually feels like a calculated attempt to give the reader some kind of catalyst for the tense proceedings, actually amounting only in further solidifying the hints that they've been given for the whole book, but no real release, which is shifted to a later volume.

It seems that the confidence and professionalism between Fabien Nury and John Cassaday, as employed by "Humanoids", is such that they firmly believe that the readers will return to their meticulously constructed story, and see it to it's end. This notion is by and large, grounded in details, as it's a rare comic book that has the ambition to actually set up as much plot wise. And, although the universe of "I am legion" is limited to a fight against the British secret service and it's German counterpart, the world building is so extensive and thorough that it feels completely solid. Even the glaring exception of the particular fantastic element that drives the story feels researched and cataloged in numerous sources involved with the occult history of the Reich.

Nobody can accuse Nury of providing an artistic showcase and getting out of the spotlight so as to let his renowned collaborator take the spotlight. The writer's pages typically consists of eight to nine panels filled with conversation that sometimes amounts to such specialized subjects as the devisions of the Axis secret services. Still, despite the long-windedness, most of the information is actually integral to the plot, with very rare emotional breaks providing the story with almost brutal glimpses into these characters, whose very lives are stunted by the horrible responsibilities they have to comprehend and fulfill.

Thankfully, that the "Dancing faun"'s oversized pages still find room to display a lot of color and character into what would certainly be fairly similar cyphers of characters in a spy novel without the intention to focus on the descriptions, is almost solely Cassaday's contribution. And not only does he instill a lot of character into the graying heads of his tense and overworked characters, but he keeps up with all of the rest of the book's visual cues. Aided by frequent collaborator Laura Martin's colors, the artist employs the traditional realism associated with classic adventure strips, by rendering almost every building and interior to exquisite detail, and not only in the establishing shots typical of comic books. Under constant variations of blues and greens, punctuated by the splashes of red, Cassadey's sure inks never fail, even when it comes to the rare portrayal of likeness that are notoriously difficult, even for the most talented artists. It is only when it comes to distinguishing two female characters that appear to be of similar ages and build that he shows a kind of predictability to the models of his figures, potentially leading to some confusion. Otherwise, the long hours of composing the dynamic layouts and working in the details make up for an aesthetic whole that makes a striking first impression.

All in all, no matter the reader's predilection towards the subject matter of occultism and World War 2 conspiracy, the amount of craft employed in bringing "I am legion" to life in comics form is certainly impressive. Just like the best put together spy novels, Nury and Cassaday go beyond the call of duty to find competent ways of introducing the readers to their fully formed world and keep their attention to a very detailed plot. "the Dancing faun" is a great example of a very dedicated genre work that is sure to be admired by a hopefully large crossover audience in it's original sequential format. It is unfortunate that "the Devil's due" went ahead with splitting each of the albums into two roughly standard sized comic books, but considering that they have since published the whole story in this format, the eventual trade paperback editions will make their initial decision an afterthought.