Comic Review: Decorum #1

Decorum #1

Image Comics

Writer: Jonathan Hickman

Art: Mike Huddleston

I don’t know what’s going on in this first issue, but that doesn’t keep me from loving it. Decorum is a unique mix of exposition via biotech adds and graphic narratives similar to your normal comic book. However, there’s just a lot going on in this issue that sets it apart from other comics on the market.

The story is disjointed. It flits about, first with exposition–an info dump that explains the basic premise then shifts to a narrative in which indigenous peoples are being conquered by strange aliens. Motives are unclear, as is the world that these factions operate in. The majority of the story focuses on a courier. A woman tasked with taking packages to and from places. It’s a strange construct in a piece that is as much science fiction as it is fantastical since there would be drones to make those necessary deliveries. But overlook this plothole and the issue has everything you could want. Suspense, intriguing characters, and an immersive world.

I’ve already mentioned those intriguing characters, but let’s break them down a bit. We’ve got the omniscience yet mysterious geometric alien race, one of whom deconstructs a guy’s face and head in order to read his thoughts from his exposed brain. I mean–enough said, that’s crazy. Then there’s the desperate courier, trying to make a buck and willing to take on some dangerous jobs to save herself. That works because it makes the courier capable, yet vulnerable to her employers. Then there’s the mysterious assassin who–you know what? I don’t really know here deal, but she had some cool weapons. Where will this go? Who can tell?

Without the art of Huddleston, this comic wouldn’t be as effective as it is. One moment the art is nuanced and detailed, the next it is raw and impressionistic. That alien who deconstructs that guys head in order to read his brain–the art is spectacular with crude lines and splashes of color that illustrate the reality of what is happening but shies away from the grotesque. Then there are the galactic space scape spreads that are like looking at Hubble telescope nebula photographs. And those spacescapes are an intermission. The majority of the graphic narrative is accentuated with color rather than permeated by it. I love the style of the black on sepia with color used to draw the eye to specific details. Huddleston should be given a freakin’ medal for originality and scope in my opinion.