Broken Frontier

A mercurial T.V. evangelist is connected to NYPD Captain Robert in a riveting game of cat and mouse.

Eclectic Euro comics publisher Narwain is back again with another intriguing project that delves exclusively into the religious spectrum. This time around, the focus is on a televangelist bristling with the touch of miraculous healing power, as he interacts with the menial lives of worshippers all seeking his gentle touch.

The story starts out with Reverend Chuck doing what he does best and that is to deliver his sermon among a crowd of desperate men, women and children. Everyone present wants to be touched by the divine gifts resting within the good Reverend’s human symmetry, and he chooses to rest his hands upon a young wheelchair-bound girl. He touches her and then he commands her to get up from the chair and walk bravely along the stage. She does this and falls flat on her face in the process.

The scene then shifts to NY City where Captain Robert is preparing for early retirement. He’s seen having dinner with his wife and she drops a bombshell on him that has severe implications to deal with. She’s been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and she doesn’t have long to live. Robert is aghast when he gets the news, but he has to put that all aside while he jet sets across the country to Memphis, Tennessee to investigate Reverend Chuck. It seems the good Reverend has past criminal associations in NY City and Captain Robert intends to nab him before he can pull his scam off all across the south. The only thing Captain Robert doesn’t bet on is his wife following him in hopes of getting the Reverend Chuck to heal the cancer eating away in the back of her head.

So that sets up an intriguing confrontation, and of course it also reveals a serious moral dilemma for Captain Robert to find himself caught in. Does he indeed arrest the saintly Reverend Chuck, or does he let the seeming phony heal his wife of her terminal illness. That’s a really good question, and I think writer Philip Osbourne should be congratulated for setting up such an interesting premise. I felt he had a good handle on the proceedings, but it also helped to have an exceptional artist like Wellington Diaz to supply compelling black and white art to greatly accentuate the story. I haven’t seen his artwork before, but if he sticks around long enough he may even get a serious look-see from North American publishers. It’s only a matter of time before that happens.

So overall, I think this was another quality read from the fine folks at Narwain Publishing. The one thing I have noticed about several of Narwain’s books is that they have a strong cinematic slant, and I can say Touch reminds of a gripping American thriller. Let’s just see if they can keep this up for the next issue.