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Title: Ruse v. 1: Enter the Detective by Mark Waid, Butch Guice ISBN: 1-931484-19-8 Publisher: CrossGeneration Comics Pub. Date: 03 July, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.62 (8 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Very high quality stuff
Comment: This was the very first graphic novel I picked up, and it's the one I compare every other series to. An masterfully done, totally enveloping work, "Ruse" takes you in and refuses to let you go, even after the last page. I have to confess that I've become a rabid fan and I'm counting the days until the next collection comes out.
The story, in brief: Emma Bishop is the beautiful, intelligent assistant to Simon Archard, the greatest detective of the age. It turns out that Partington, the ever-so-slightly fantastic victorian town in which they live, is full of mysteries to be solved. The major one in this collection is the strange Baroness Miranda Cross who, along with Emma, posesses a strange power to stop time. Who is Miranda Cross? Why does is she trying to control the higher-ups of Partington? The answer remains a mystery until the end, and even then the answer is not really known.
The art in "Ruse" is very high quality and goes along with the crisp dialogue. Both manage very well to keep everyone in character, something that other Crossgen books, such as "Sojourn" don't quite succeed at. We sympathize with Emma through all her attempts to do the right thing, though she's never quite able to meet the standard of her employer. Simon, though terribly arrogant, is also a sympathetic character, who the reader learns to love. The bad guys are without a doubt bad. Miranda Cross is a delightfully conniving villaness who never wavers from her quest to screw things up in Partington.
All in all, "Ruse" is certainly worth a read. My advice is that you keep the second volume close at hand, because you won't want to wait before reading it.
Rating: 5
Summary: An Original On Par With Stan Lee
Comment: As I read this book, I kept thinking "this is the best I've seen since Stan Lee". But this isn't a "super-hero" book, it's very unique. Nevertheless, this is comic book storytelling at its finest. The artwork is absolutely magnificent, the dialogue is intelligent and is superbly woven into the art with a skill I haven't seen since the 1960's Marvel line, but it's done with a very modern production quality worthy of the 21st century, with very high gloss paper and color work that is magnificent.
The "Ruse" series takes place in a fictional town that's a Victorian England or perhaps America, but with an ever-so-slight suggestion of fantasy - gargoyles fly like bats, for example. The premise: Emma Bishop is the sexy and smart - but still green - assistant to the brilliant but distant Simon Archard, a sort of dashing and very serious Sherlock Holmes type. As much as Archard's brilliance is widely respected, nobody but Emma knows why he often escapes harm's way, not even Archard ... This book is the republished edition of the first 6 comic books from "Ruse", a monthly comic series published by the new company "CrossGen". "Ruse" lasted about 25 or 30 issues, when the storyline concluded, and the characters were taken into other books.
Since this book is the reprint of Ruse issues 1 through 6, it contains plots that resolve, but subplots that continue into issues 7 and beyond - which are also reprinted in books like this one. This particular book, "Enter the Detective", is the starting point, and comes in two different editions. Both are bound paperback, graphic novel style. One is the "traveler edition", which is a smaller version - meant for travelling, I guess - but because this artwork is so absolutely beautiful, I found myself wanting the other edition, which reprints the comics in their original larger size.
As a collector of comics from the early days of Spider-Man, and a fan of the old artwork of the early Marvel Conan the Barbarian, I have to say - this is THE FIRST production I've appreciated since those days (other than Alex Ross' work). And it's brilliant without being foul - so many of the new comics are filled with R-rated material or lower. I found myself so caught up on the story and the art with this that it wasn't until much later that I realized - this is actually fine for kids. (Strange that you have to consider that with comics, but that's the way it is nowadays.) Sexy but not raunchy, intelligent and engaging, dramatic yet credible story lines, this has it all. Mark Waid wrote all 6 issues. Butch Guice was the artist for issues 1 through 5, and Jeff Johnson was the artist for issue 6. Johnson's work is not QUITE as good, but still well done.
Rating: 4
Summary: Intriguing Victorianesque Series
Comment: I'm not much of a comics reader in general, but this collection of the first six issues of the "Ruse" series caught my eye. The setting is Partington, the capital city of a place very much resembling gaslight Victorian England. The hero is super-genius detective Simon Archard and his stubborn blonde assistant, Emma. Archard is kind of a Sherlock Holmes character, capable of stunning feats of deduction-but with the body and dexterity of an athlete. Emma is a smart, tough, witty, and beautiful, but continually frustrated by Simon's condescension to her. She also possesses the magical ability to stop time, although for reasons that remain murky, she's not allowed to use it. The two interact in a remarkably witty nonstop banter, much in style of the screwball comedy films of the '40s, with Simon inevitably getting the last word in.
Their adventures in this book begin with a relatively simple murder investigation, which ties into a drug-smuggling operation masterminded by a beautiful foreign baroness. The stakes mount and mount over the first four chapters as the baroness brings the city's most influential citizens under her power and Simon is framed and forced into hiding. The fifth chapter finds Emma alone to confront a series of grisly prostitute slayings (a la Jack the Ripper), and to contemplate Simon's disappearance. The last story introduces the Simon's enigmatic archnemesis, in a teaser to set up the next big storyline.
The artwork is unbelievably rich and detailed-every panel is excellent, and many times unusual perspectives are given to the most mundane scene to make it interesting. The panel flow can be a bit confusing at times (a couple times I had tostop and figure out if I was supposed to read across the both pages, or continue down the left-hand page), but it's a small price to pay for the inventive paneling. The level of detail on clothing, architecture, and interiors is just amazing, and the colors work perfectly in conjunction. My only quibble is that the last chapter uses different artists and the look is completely different, much thicker and simpler lines, and much more drab coloring. Overall, however, it's great artwork with a compelling storyline and well worth checking out.
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Title: Sojourn v. 1: From the Ashes by Ron Marz, Greg Land, Drew Garaci, Caesar Rodriquez ISBN: 1931484155 Publisher: CrossGeneration Comics Pub. Date: 05 June, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Crux v. 1: Atlantis Rising by Mark Waid, Steve Epting, Rick Magyar, Frank D'Armata ISBN: 1931484147 Publisher: CrossGeneration Comics Pub. Date: 22 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Ruse Vol. 3: Criminal Intent by Scott Beatty, Butch Guice, Mike Perkins, Laura Depuy ISBN: 1931484740 Publisher: CrossGeneration Comics Pub. Date: July, 2004 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Sojourn v. 2: The Dragon's Tale by Ron Marz, Greg Land ISBN: 1931484341 Publisher: CrossGeneration Comics Pub. Date: 06 November, 2002 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: The Warrior's Tale (Sojourn, Book 3) by Ron Marz, Greg Land ISBN: 1931484651 Publisher: CrossGeneration Comics Pub. Date: May, 2003 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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