Potter's Field #1 Posted 08 Oct 2007 Writer: Mark Waid Artist: Paul Azaceta Colors: Nick Filardi Publisher: BOOM! Studios  4.00 out of 5 Stars Reviewed by Matt Rawson

 

Potter’s Field has a really neat concept. A fella with no name (called John Doe for the sake of one, however), with a mysterious past, goes around and solves the murders of anonymous victims in NYC. He does this by using an intricate network of people that are in some manner indebted to him.

“A strong story that introduces you to flesh and blood characters.”

Potter’s Field #1, penned by comics stalwart Mark Waid, regardless of a “to be continued” at the end, reads as a very effective single issue. So much so that I could feasibly stop with this one issue and be fairly satisfied. Oddly enough, I also get the feeling that I have read in the first issue what I can expect from the rest; that it’ll be just a case-an-issue book. That’s an assumption, of course, but the “to be continued” didn’t leave me with a desperate need for the next installment.

The realistic noir simplicity of Paul Azaceta’s artwork is reminiscent of Michael Lark and Michael Gaydos and seems tailor-made to fit this kind of story. In fact, I don’t believe this kind of story could hold water without it. Crime comics are definitely on the upswing lately, and this dark and gritty, thick-lined, shadow-laden pseudo photo-realism appears to be the designated house-style associated with it. There’s nothing incredibly novel about Azaceta’s approach in Potter’s Field #1, but hey, if the shoe fits . . .

All in all, I will give Potter’s Field enough wiggle room to either prove or bust my assumption about its future homogeneity. I have to give this first issue due props, however, because it is a strong story that introduces you to flesh and blood characters that seem more than their visual two dimensions. I just hope it goes beyond the cases and really delves into those dimensions.

—CCdC—

 

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