It wasn’t that long ago when I would yell from the treetops that Ellis is one of my current favorite writers and and say that many of his works rank right up there among my all-time favorites Lately, his books have lacked something to me. Thanks to his online presence where he’d post whatever odd and disgusting news headlines he found, I’d get the feeling that I’d read his stories before on www.warrenellis.com As Ellis recently has been interested in “the real world,” his stories have lacked an emotional core, important aspects of Transmetroplitan, The Authority and Planetary. Occasionally it turned up, like in Ellis and Ben Templesmith’s Fell but it was hard to find in most of his other work.
Freak Angels, a new online comic from Ellis, is the story about what happens after the end of the world. It’s about what’s next, a story type that I have quite a fondness for. Don’t tell me how everything Fell apart; just show me what happens afterwards and how everyone copes. That’s more interesting to me. 23 years ago, 12 strange children were born at the same time. Six years ago, they were involved in the end of the world. This is their story. These opening episodes focus on KK, a Freak Angel who sleeps with boys from the wrong side of the river. When someone from outside shows up on their street with a large gun, it doesn’t take KK long to realize that one of their own is trying to kill them.
Ellis and artist Paul Duffield tell their story in weekly 6-page episodes at www.freakangels.com Much like Ellis’s Fell, Freak Angels is partially an exercise in getting the most story into the smallest space. While not as constrictive as Fell, Freak Angels moves its story along in 6 pages chapters with 4 panels each page per week. Ellis is forced to break the chapter down into its purest elements because he has no time to waste establishing character and plot. Each of the first three chapters works as a complete chapter, perfectly paced and nicely balancing setting the plot while building the characters.
Duffield’s artwork is one of the more curious blends of western comics and manga that I’ve seen. His manga influences are subtle and easy to miss but they’re there. Look at the facial designs of the characters. He doesn’t go nearly as far exaggerating the emotions but the basic structures are obviously manga influenced. He also focuses on the backdrops and setting for each scene, excellently establishing where the action is taking place. It makes the book feel much more real and much more alive.
Ever since the end of Transmetroplitan, this is the book I’ve wanted from Ellis– one that shows he’s able to do more than turn odd online news stories into comic book scripts. This is one of the first things in a while from him that doesn’t feel like it was just culled from his morning RSS feeds. It’s a true science fiction story that shows imagination and skill at work.
Freak Angels
www.freakangels.com
Written by: Warren Ellis
Illustrated by: Paul Duffield