Broken Frontier

One of the greatest challenges facing any independently published comic or creator-owned work is consistency. Whether we want to admit it or not, most of us crave consistency in our comics; derive pleasure and comfort from the same creative teams bringing us our monthly dose of spandex and capes. Sure, we’re also the first to identify and complain bitterly about so-called production line comics but in point of fact, most of us find an abrupt or frequent change in creative teams jarring or in some cases, a personal affront.

Consistency and the status quo are what make comics such an insidious and widespread form of popular entertainment, in the first place.

Thanks to their deep pockets and huge respective fanbases, larger publishers like Marvel and DC have little difficulty finding and keeping talented creators. Not so the indy publishers, who most often rely on the primary creators to build and retain their creative teams. This isn’t a criticism of the industry. It’s simply a reality of the current state of affairs of comic book publishing.

Unfortunately, it’s also a reality that can have a negative impact on an otherwise strong property.

Philosopher Rex is a book I would really like to see gain a wider audience. Brothers Ian and Jason Miller deliver a solid premise, grounded in the everyday, of a world of occult shadows policed by a clandestine organization of supernatural Philosophers. It is a story concept that falls regretfully short due to a revolving cast of artists, who vary far too much in both style and quality.

Thankfully, the Miller Brothers’ exceptional characterization and the smart design of a main protagonist in Ishmael Stone, who is instantly recognizable no matter who’s drawing him, allows Philosopher Rex to rise above the inconsistencies in the art – for the most part. The supporting cast doesn’t fare so well as Stone though, as their appearances change with each issue, distracting the audience from the high quality of the writing. Characters generally appear the same from one issue to the next but details such as skin tone and clothing seem to fall through the cracks.

Only artist Rick Silver appears in more than one book in this collection of the first five issues, providing at least a semblance of consistency in the art but the styles of the other pencillers and inkers are far too varied to create a constant visual look for the series. Perhaps I’m making a mountain out of a molehill here, as each artistic contributor is talented in their own right. It’s just that variety hinders the audience’s ability to truly connect with Philosopher Rex’s wonderfully eclectic cast because their appearances are in a constant state of flux.

Maybe I’m being too hard on a creator-owned book put out by a small-to-medium sized independent publisher. After all, Marvel and DC are still tweaking the appearances of their most archetypal heroes. They have that luxury though. Most of their fans aren’t going anywhere, no matter what Wonder Woman or Spider-Man are wearing these days.

For a series like Philosopher Rex, that depth of seasoning and fan support is a long way off yet. I fear that if a stable creative team isn’t found for the book soon, it may never get the chance to enjoy wider success – a shame, because the Miller Brothers are two of the strongest writers I’ve encountered in the “small” press lately.

Mark me, my friends, you’ll be hearing more of them in the future, either through Philosopher Rex or some as yet unpublished project. They’re that good. There were times in this collection, when they were channeling the tone and feel of Jamie Delano’s classic Hellblazer run (issue #4 especially).

I look back on that era of comics with a special fondness. It was my first exposure to comics that didn’t rely on spandex and capes to keep my interest. Anyone who can engender those feelings in me – no matter how small or vague – deserves a chance to reach a wider audience. Hopefully, the inconsistencies in the visual style plaguing the first five issues of Philosopher Rex don’t follow the Miller Brothers throughout this series and beyond, because I’m willing to bet there are a lot more stories left in them yet.