(Words and art by Ted McKeever, 5 issue mini-series published by DC/Vertigo)
Once upon a time, Doom Patrol was my favourite comic. Then Ted McKeever took over on art duties and I stopped reading. A few years on, and I've bought Junk Culture, the 2 issue mini-series he did for Vertigo, and the Batman Elseworlds story he painted and now Faith, but I'm still not sure if I like McKeever's painting style or not. Something about the way he draws those mouths as mere slits with teeth creeps me out. Not to mention the murky colours he tends to favour.
Having said that, the creepy painting style is ideal for Faith. And one thing you can say in McKeever's favour - he likes to draw a womanly woman. Which in today's mainstream comics environment can only be a good thing. Located somewhere above Hell, a good deal below Heaven and just a little to the left of Life, the inhabitants of Murr are an undead mess. But they're not vampires or zombies, OK? And the nuns that make up the welcome party are the creepiest nuns I've seen since the Little Sisters of the Razor in an old issue of (coincidentally) Doom Patrol.
Half the inhabitants of this spooky place are totally wingnut and the other half seem stoical about the whole situation. Enter Faith, their apparent saviour. End first issue. So, is Faith a saviour? And are all the womanly women the butch dykes they appear? And who the hell are those nuns, anyway? OK, it's piqued my interest enough to buy another issue; I'll say that for it. ]
Anna Jellinek
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