Review: Gunning for Hits #1
Music fans and comic fans are alike in many ways. I have friends who have given up on comics, moved onto music and then return to comics; and of course vice versa. It’s like the collecting bug has bitten, with only the format in which we ingest our stories of love, hate, fast cars and adventure changing as we look to get that next fix that often translates from the creative metaphor into a twisted part of our lives through a prism called “it could be me that they are talking/singing/writing about”.
This book is set in the 80’s, that popular time to which everyone looks back to as some sort of halcyon utopia. It wasn’t; I know, I was there. What the 80’s did give us was the ability to grow creatively, especially in the music scene as, at least in the UK, loads of different genres hit the Top of the Pops. True this also led to a period of stagnation down the line, but that is a conversation for another time. This book features the underbelly of the music industry as Martin Mills, an A&R guy with a dodgy past looks to sign the next big “unknown” rock band of their generation. This issue centres on the negotiation elements with the band manager making more and more ludicrous demands; or least they would be ludicrous if the band wasn’t so damn good! What follows is an entertaining give and take as both sides look to get the upper hand right up to the point where Mills almost blows the job!
The book is written by a first time comic book writer who has taken Mark Twain’s “write what you know” advice to heart, as music producer Jeff Rougvie scribes this music based crime thriller. Rougvie’s knowledge on the topic has a huge impact on the reality of the book as we listen to Mills’ inner monologue. Through this, we get to see the rationale behind some of the decisions that music reps make on our behalf, even if their bass line is all about the money. Rougvie also takes us down a side track with a lesson in music economics. True, this script and dialogue may seem a tad jaded and acid in places, but hey, Rougvie has worked with some of the biggest stars in the music industry, so I am more than willing to take the writing at face value. Mill’s character comes across as a jaded individual who at his core still has a great love for his music addiction, in a similar way as Rob Fleming in High Fidelity, with the main difference being that Mills is still quite proactive about it.
Moritat, whose work has been seen on The Spirit, Harley Quinn and Hellblazer delivers a dark book, which is kind of appropriate given the dingy setting for most of the book. The black and grey warehouse interiors are separated by the odd splash of color from the band’s lead singer. Of course, the darkness doesn’t just exist around the locale; Mill’s himself has the bleak acceptance of his own nefarious past whilst working to sustain his place in the world. Moritat’s figure work could bee described as scrawny or off centre with Mills being shown as a “square”. Moritat adds a level of fun in the pages of exposition that go to explain a lot of the setup and logic behind the character’s actions and motivations. This element at first glance is kind of like a ballad at track 4 in the middle of a rock CD in that is serves as a palate cleanser, which in turn makes the final tracks, in this case the final act, even more effective. Corey Silver pulls double duty on colors and letters, with strong skills in both arenas.
I like music as much as the next guy, maybe not at “muso” level. As such the correlations between the mediums are evident. This is further built upon as each issue of the series adds to a special Spotify playlist that looks to enhance the comic book experience. Whether it does, is up for debate; but it’s a clever nod to show how comics and music can affect moods. However, even as “just a comic book” this issue, full of the dark things people will do to succeed, or the undertones of money being all that matters, makes for a compelling read.
Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Jeff Rougvie
Art by; Moritat
Colors & Letters by; Corey Silver
Published by; Image Comics
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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