Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Image | Tagged: ananad rk, blue in green, image comics, ram v, Tom Muller

6 Thoughts About New Image Comics Graphic Novel Blue In Green

Published Sun, 15 Nov 2020 07:30:13 -0600

Writer Ram V (Catwoman, Justice League Dark) was kind enough to send over an early copy of his next project with penciller Anand RK called Blue In Green. After reading it, there were a couple of figurative melodies I couldn't get out of my head. Here they are:

Blue In Green cover. Credit: Image Comics

Is Blue In Green good? Yes. Is Blue In Green great? Not really. My criticisms: The comic didn't scare me, and V was a little too wordy. I didn't get a sense of creeping horror, and the monster didn't frighten me. Then again, that's a problem of execution, not concept. In concept, I like Blue In Green quite a bit. It's about family, jazz music, and the heat of New York City. The mystery of how the characters all connected with each other engaged me more than the horror.
If DC ever decides to do Hellblazer again after the now doomed Si Spurrier run, the commissioning editor ought to give the entire Blue In Green team a look. They turned in one pretty book.
There are a couple of funny moments where a now-closed jazz club is being used as a porn set, and the landlord talks about how he should've evicted the jazz club's owner years ago but didn't because "that's the price of being a romantic." The comic isn't funny per se, but when V does drop humor in, it works.
The team (probably Tom Muller) even manages to evoke the Blue Note logo (a famous jazz record label) without infringing on a copyright.
RK and colorist John Pearson go for lots of early Bill Sienkiewicz-esque lens flare or depth perception tricks, which felt appropriate for the story and setting. They're a duo to watch. According to the backmatter, letterer Aditya Bidikar hand-lettered the entire comic, which added to the experience.
If you miss Hellblazer, give Blue In Green a try. The trappings are new to me, and the art's excellent.