Posted in: Comics, Review | Tagged: caliber comics, detective, magic, massimo rossi, Morning Star, occult, paskal millet

Morning Star #1 Review: A Fascinating Supernatural Investigation Story

A man in a hospital bed is having horrific nightmares, and his doctors attempt to sedate him. The man suddenly disappears in a burst which blows apart the doctors.

In addition to police, a man named Aaron Teller comes to investigate. He represents an organization called Morning Star, which handles supernatural matters. There is unrest between the realms of the living and the dead, and Morning Star intends to discover its origins.

Morning Star mixes mysticism and Western-esque detective stories to weave a low-key tale of supernatural investigators. It certainly takes some notes from B.P.R.D and Hellblazer for its premise and measures up well in the ranks of its predecessors.

There's something quite wonderful in how tame the tone is. There's little in the way of bombast or action. Even when the story enters the realm of the dead through a character named Olga, it's droning and ominous. Things don't ramp up into a dramatic climax or horror show. The story just takes it in stride, allowing the tension to build at the reader's pace.

There are some drawbacks. The dialogue can be a little corny and cliché in its attempts to set up Aaron as a hard-bitten detective. He also redeems the phrase "They used a Nusku portal" so many times that it becomes a little silly. This is redeemed somewhat by his entertaining interactions with his partner, Max.

Also, Morning Star is an ancient Templar-founded organization, a concept that has been made a little trite through overuse.

That brings us to the art of Paskal Millet, which is a gritty and grimy style that fits the comic wonderfully. There is a lot of extraneous line work that builds this aesthetic of a hard-bitten world. This is further complimented by the cold and washed-out color palette which is contrasted by the bloodshed to make the latter stand out more. The art is quite good overall. The only drawback in this regard is a bit of a fascination with Olga's ass when she enters the realm of the dead.

Morning Star #1 is a compelling magic-detective story which weaves a coldly atmospheric world. The premise is interesting, and the story drives itself forward well. Massimo Rossi and Paskal Millet are onto something here, and I look forward to seeing how it will develop. Check this one out.

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