Avengelyne #1 – Advanced Review

By: Rob Liefeld and Mark Poulton (story), Mark Poulton (script), Owen Gieni (art and colors)

The Story – Devil in the Flesh, Part 1 of 3: A psycho is stalking New York and we get to watch him work. A pornstar/stripper named Heaven Starr with a reputation for heavy drug use has a sudden loss of memory and is tossed out of the club she is working. She can’t remember anything and on the way home, more than just New York muggers are waiting for her.

What’s Good: Visually, Gieni gave this book a strong opening. The snowflakes falling on New York soften and whiten a land that needs cleansing, perfectly setting the metaphorical tone for the book. His characters are stylized and exaggerated (check out Torment in his orange sweater-vest), but attractive and expressive. Fear, confusion, artificial and genuine smiles, and anger clearly tell the story while action sequences effectively move the story forward. The dialogue was, at times interesting and unexpected, like when the muggers go after Heaven.