Broken Frontier

Jones’s friend John, another ex-spy, has been murdered. Or has he? Jones is on a quest for the truth... but what has science fiction writer Philip K. Dick to do with it?

With this issue of Desolation Jones, writer Warren Ellis delves into new territory – that of literary comparison. Ellis manages to connect the writing and philosophies of the late, great Philip K. Dick with the gritty, violent, LA-based ex-spy community of Michael Jones. What is reality? Well, that may depend on your point of view....

After a bad spell with fallout from the experiment that ruined what was left of his life, Michael Jones manages to pick himself up to start investigating the death of his old, espionage friend John. Jones is not entirely convinced that John really is dead but certainly something is going on. Clues lead Jones to a movie producer who claims he hired John to investigate the life of Philip Dick for a movie about the author’s life. Is this all some kind of elaborate scam or could it be that the late science fiction author really does have some connection to the case? Jones must struggle to go forward even as his worn-out body fails him.

In a departure from the first story arc in this series, Ellis has so far shied away from violence and sex to delve a little deeper into Michael Jones and his world. In an even stranger twist, Ellis uses Dick’s philosophies to do so. For example, Philip K. Dick often wrote of an anomic California – a place devoid of standards and feelings, filled with people who were alienated and purposeless. Early on in this issue, during a dream that returns Jones to his childhood, he warns his younger self not to be such a loner because that will lead to becoming him... "Some stupid human robot who goes through the motions of giving a shit." Jones feels alienated and questions his relationships to even those he calls his friends. Ellis continues to tie this story into Dick’s work with the nature of perception. Dick did not believe in a single, objective reality and many of his stories feature twists that completely change a reader’s perception of the main character. With Jones, Ellis taps into this but creates a bit of dichotomy as well. The readers follow the story through Jones and yet Jones himself does not always see reality. He hallucinates (at one point seeing himself in a jungle setting while actually standing in the Hollywood living room of the producer) and he takes drugs that will alter his perceptions as well. Yet, despite the questionable reality, Jones is always prodding at mysteries – he seeks truths and answers, concrete things. Jones' life in many ways becomes a struggle against ennui and entropy.

For this six issue arc (at least) the art baton has been passed from J.H. Williams III to Danijel Zezlj. Zezlj’s style is vastly different from Williams’ lyrical lines. Zezlj’s work is hard-edged, somewhat rough (deliberately), and slightly abstract. While this makes for a dramatic change it is not necessarily an unwelcome one. With Jose Villarrubia’s colors, Zezlj’s art pinpoints the moods of the characters and settings, bringing them to the fore.

Desolation Jones continues to prove to be a title that is hard to qualify and to quantify. Part mystery, part espionage, part drama, part stinging satire and part metaphysical exploration, there are lovely layers to be peeled back in this issue. Where is Michael Jones going? Who knows, but it is a fascinating ride with good dialogue and great scenery. You can worry about the destination when you get there.