Old Dog #1 review: An unsettling and unsettling spy story

I learned that old dog He was confident in his convictions when, in the third chapter of his first edition, I published the classic metaphor to drop the title. More specifically, the sequence shows a government agent confessing the series’ hero, grizzly CIA agent Jack Lynch, and notes “there is life in the old dog yet, isn’t it?” While this appears to be the case with regard to Jack himself, it is not necessarily a conclusion I can come to old dog Based on its first release. old dog #1 is a well-designed, but almost underestimated game that is ultimately pushed forward by the possibilities of its concept.

old dog #1 depicts the story of Jack Lynch, a veteran CIA agent who is sidelined for meek office work after many years on the job. From there, the case narrates both a seemingly action-free mission that turns into something more, as well as an action-packed sequence that follows a younger version of Jack – two more related stories than they initially seem.

It’s a great decision for the chassis old dog #1 in this double points in time, and ultimately leads to a narrative bonus that could only work in the form of comics. However, the structure does take quite a bit of back and forth to really start clicking, as the parameters of the chain’s world aren’t immediately specified. The closest we get is an introductory page with some bits of cleverly redacted information, but we’re still filling in the gaps of what happens for at least the first third of the problem. The effect is confusing, but still interesting, especially when the public perception of the issue begins to clear itself.

Unfortunately, the general vanity old dog #1 seems to take precedence over personifying the series’ characters, since everyone is left uncovered when the issue is over. As we learn crumbs from Jack’s turbulent past, not enough has been done to invest us in him, or in his relationship with another main character that is properly rendered at the end of the issue. It’s safe to assume that these elements will be expanded on in future issues, but this ambiguity—combined with largely general dialogue from writer and artist Declan Shalvey—makes the actions at the end somewhat forgettable, outside of some of the main sequences.

Basically on every aesthetic level, old dog #1 Captures the slack left by the narrative in some really cool ways. The art of Shalvi established the two sequences in a dynamic style that fans of his work will enjoy moon knight And the dead list He will surely realize, as the combat sequences are executed in a direct and poignant manner. The choppy, but deliberate use of shadows evokes the pulp work of Will Eisner and Alex Toth in all the right ways, and it just might be my favorite ingredient in the visuals. Shalvey’s color work goes so far as to establish two problem settings, with some great uses for teal and green. Clayton Cowles’ lettering is unobtrusive, but effective, helping to make even the most colorful sequences relatively easy to understand.

like the protagonist, old dog #1 A bit of a puzzle. Its visuals are inspired, and its central premise holds a lot of promise—but too much of the case’s construction gets in the way of where it can rise. If you are a fan of Shalvi’s work, old dog Worth delving into it right away, but other than that, we’ll just have to wait and see if it’s worth indulging.

Posted by picture caricature

on me September 28, 2022

written by Declan Shalvey

art through Declan Shalvey

Colors Declan Shalvey

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Messages by Clayton Cowles

cover by Declan Shalvey

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