Before you look at the cover of ‘The Gentleman’ take notice of the title. There’s a Black man tipping his bolo hat wearing a black suit. Already you know this is going to be a different sort of comic-book. Greg Anderson Elysee’s latest work is for mature audiences. As you see the rest of the cover, a Black man and woman are surrounded by tentacles. Between her red lipstick and the finger signifying silence over his mouth, you get the sense not to trust what you see. Then there’s that bracelet on his arm that’s glowing.
‘The Gentleman’ has been created by Marcel Dupree, Lucas Perdomo and Marco Pagnotta but the story is by Elysee. Several pages into this comic and we get a sense of this character’s world. Oliver is a private investigator and doesn’t seem to be all the way human. His nightmares have dreams of their own and his cat, Simone Simon is a combination of sarcastic sidekick and alarm system. Though she doesn’t speak, Simone seems to be the only one who gets what’s happening. Also, Oliver’s sexual fluidity is a natural part of the narrative as his ex-lover Ralph asks for help. It seems Espere, the woman with the red lipstick, and hair with a life of its own has someone or thing after her. Oliver describes what Ralph and Espere are involved in as a cult. And Espere’s passionate defense of her spirituality seems to cement Oliver’s theory. What’s more she seems to attempt to recruit him by seducing him, all while Ralph is sitting right there. Not the best tactic since someone seems to be killing off its members.
Oliver’s right not to trust anyone and the 21st century way in which he finds out who Espere is grounds this supernatural story in a real world. In order to be a good detective sometimes you can’t just take a friend’s word. Ralph vouches for Espere, but how much does he know about her? And their involvement with the cult and possibly each other may cloud his judgment. What’s more Ralph drops back into Oliver’s life bringing his problems with him.
One of the best aspects of this comic are the ways Oliver’s abilities are portrayed. His astral projection isn’t like Doctor Strange’s, where his form looks exactly like him and is, for the most part calm. Or Professor X in ‘Days of Future Past’ where he projects his consciousness into others. No, Oliver’s is painful where it looks as if he’s travelling through an inky, murky void, while coming apart and reforming his body. And it’s near the end of the comic where readers get a chance to see what Espere ran from. If it were you, you’d still be running.
To be sure, ‘The Gentleman’ leaves you with the need for more Oliver. Still more than that, the rich artwork, the smart dialogue, the realistic portrayal of otherworldly, scary things all create a rich, film noir vibe that you must have in your life.
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