I Reads You Review: GREEK STREET #1

DC COMICS/VERTIGO
WRITER: Peter Milligan
ARTIST: Davide Gianfelice
COLORS: Patricia Mulvihill
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Kako
40pp, Color, $1.00

Book One: Blood Calls for Blood, Part One “The Monster of Greek Street”

Debuting last summer, Greek Street is a contemporary fantasy series from DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint. Created by writer Peter Milligan and artist Davide Gianfelice, Greek Street re-imagines the ancient Greek Tragedies, setting them on the streets of modern London, on the real Greek Street, in particular.

In the first issue, the hero, Eddie (Oedipus), who grew up in a series of children’s homes, goes looking for his real mother, which has dire consequences. By the end of the first issue, Eddie has drawn the attention of a crime syndicate, The House of Furey (the furies). Meanwhile, a London homicide named Daedalus begins a murder investigation.

This early in the series there is not much to say about the story other than that in terms of quality, it reads quite well. What is ready to have judgment passed upon it is the art by Davide Gianfelice. It’s excellent. Gianfelice has a wonderful pencil line and brush stroke that is nearly perfect for cartooning the human figure. Gianfelice captures both the sultry and clammy natures of strippers and sex with equal aplomb. He even makes violence and the threat of it sexy. With Patricia Mulvihill’s lustrous colors over Gianfelice art, Greek Street has its catchy visual hook.