I Reads You Review: GREEK STREET #2

DC COMICS/VERTIGO

WRITER: Peter Milligan
ARTIST: Davide Gianfelice
COLORS: Patricia Mulvihill
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Kako
32pp, Color, $2.99

Book One: Blood Calls for Blood, Part Two “Where Two Roads Meet Together”

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

In Greek Street #2, the hero, Eddie (Oedipus), remains in hiding because he had sex with his mother and then murdered her. Meanwhile, London homicide Detective Inspector Daedalus continues his murder investigation. Eddie gets a break, of sorts, when the House of Furey hires him to keep an eye on an influential aristocrat, Lord Menon.

[This comic book also includes a preview of the Vertigo series, Sweet Tooth.]

I still think it is too early in the series for me to say much about about the story other than that in terms of quality, it reads quite well. I think that Greek Street is a good concept, and so far, both issues have had some funny, even clever moments. Still, I wonder if this series would even exist if it weren’t written by Pete Milligan. Would a publisher risk money on a slow-moving story in which the author is still hiding or holding back much of the current storyline for later issues?

Reading Greek Street’s first storyline or story arc, Blood Calls for Blood, as a trade collection (or graphic novel) will probably allow a reader to make the judgment of if Greek Street is as good as it is supposed to be. I feel a wait-for-the-trade-feeling coming on.

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.