SAINT JOHN #1 (OF 4)
Story: Dan Schkade, Brennan Wagner, Portland Gear
Art/Cover: Dan Schkade
Dark Horse, $4.99
I wondered in the Comics Guide about why the solicitation thought Portland had "quirks" that "made the city unique." Well, now I have a good idea.
Saint John #1 is a pretty straightforward superhero intro. A magazine reporter arrives from the big city, the mystery man appears, derring-do is done, conversations ensue that are both cryptic and intriguing.
Saint John himself is attired in street gear that wouldn't stand out in Portland, except for the mask: Baseball cap, hooded raincoat, T-shirt with a red "P" on it, high-tops. (I couldn't find a university logo with the same P. It may not be affiliated with anything.) He seems ordinary at first glance, but my guess is he has Jack Hawksmoor-type powers.
The art is also very straightforward. A little on the cartoony side, yes, but also clear, slick and attractive. I never wondered what was going on, as the storytelling was polished and crystal clear.
And then there's the Portland angle. I learned more about the citys "quirks" than in the entire Stumptown series.
- "City of Roses": Check.
- Weird inhabitants: Check.
- "Stumptown": Check.
- Pacific Northwest weather: Check.
- "City of Bridges": Check.
- St. John's Bridge: Check.
- The Red Line: Check.
- Good coffee and doughnuts: Check.
No, it's not so quirky I plan to move to Portland. But this is a handsome package and, like Tori Slate, freelancer for "Poach" magazine, I'll be back for more on the mystery of Saint John.
Replies
In checking to see if I'd already written about Dan Schkade's Flash Gordon, I did a search and found this post. It looks like 2 issues of this were published. From what I can tell, it was a comissioned comic from a clothing company, Portland Gear, which is probably what the P is about, and why so much of his outfit is center stage.
But I love Schkade's work, so I'll keep an eye out for this!
So that's where the "P" comes from! I checked sports franchises, but didn't to think of clothing stores.