The Field #1 (Image)

CREDIT: Image Comics

Rating: 4.5/5 – Sometimes I like a little confusion…
by ComicSpectrum EiC Bob Bretall.

There are times when laying it all out on the line is not a good thing.  When you’re specifically building a mystery story where knowing what the heck is going on is the end point a writer has to be careful in how they measure out the information.  Too little and it’s a totally confusing mess.  Too much and they spoil their own story.  Ed Brisson hit the mix just right for me in this first issue of The Field.

This is very much a mystery.  Who is this guy who wakes up in a field in the small hours of the morning in nothing but his tighty whiteys and no memory of who is is or how he got there?   What about the mysterious cell phone?  And what’s up with that crazy bible salesman Christian?

The characters, situation, and dialogue mesh perfectly with Simon Roy’s art to tell a fascinating tale that asks LOTS of questions and provides NO answers.  But that’s OK.  For this story the confusion is purposeful and completely appropriate.  What this issue did  was leave me aching to read issue #2, which makes it fully successful as a #1.  I need to know what the deal is with the ending of the scene in the diner.  Brisson can string me along for a long time chasing after answers to the questions posed here and I suspect I’ll be happy about it.  That’s the real trick…if you are going to leave out information, don’t just make it seem like you forgot to put it in.

Reviewed by: Bob Bretall
(bob@comicspectrum.com)
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