Can't See the Forest for the Trees

The Chemist
Image Comics (32 pages / 3.50)

Writer / Artist: Jay Boose

I must admit I am totally unfamiliar with writer / artists Jay Boose’s work*, but after picking up the first issue of The Chemist I will definitely be looking out for more. The European style of the cover called out to me from the rack. A quick flick through reinforced that opinion as the art showed strong influence from French bandes dessinées (BD) albums – mixing urban noir crime drama with slick stylish protagonists and a realist, almost illustrative, approach to detailing backgrounds. And anybody that can accurately illustrate a 1967 Renault Alpine sports car scores immediate points with a gear head like me.

The story in this first issue is a simple tale of man meets woman, they get shot at, and escape over the Canadian border. But the man is a drug dealer with a neat twist, he doesn’t dispense heroin – he reverse engineers, manufacturers and sells prescription drugs on the black market. While the woman is a decoy set up by the mob, an alluring companion with what will undoubtedly be an equally alluring back story to unfold. The action runs from Boston to Montreal and reflects the different feel and sensibilities of both locations. It’s fast, witty, sexy and enthralling.

The book is literally crammed with story as both the inside front and back covers as well as every page are used for art rather than adverts – such a simple and seemingly obvious way of getting more story for your money, that I’m amazed that other publishers haven’t used it before.

This will be one I will definitely be buying when a hardback collection is published (please make sure that happens Image) and will happily rack it alongside my European BD albumes.

* It seems that Jay Boose is an animator at PIXAR – so I must have seen his work before.