Advance Review: An Epic Chase Through Time In `A Vicious Circle’ #1

Every once in a while, a story comes out of nowhere and sets a new standard for excellence. A Vicious Circle is that good of story.

Masterfully told and beautifully drawn, this action drama follows two time travelers, Shawn Thacker and Ferris, who are locked in a chase through the ages. The story begins in the 1950s, when Thacker is living a seemingly normal life with a wife and son. Seemingly normal except for the monster – Ferris – he has locked up in the basement. How did he get there? It’s not clear, but if the title of the limited series is any indication, we’ll find out soon enough.

After escaping, Ferris escapes to the future with Thacker not far behind. In a terrific series of panels, artist Lee Bermejo follows the pair from time period to time period, changing his artistic style with each period. There are paintings depicting the Civil War. Quasi-black light drawings dominate an acid rock concert. Mike Mignola-esque artwork can be seen during a panel with men in top hats.

But Bermejo’s greatest contributions are at the beginning of this oversized premiere issue when he is depicting Thacker’s would-be normal life in the South. The black-and-white pages are simply gorgeous. In just a few pages, he shows Thacker’s range of emotions – from bemusement at his young son to the hate of a bigoted era to the stoicism of a man who knows the future and how all that is happening around him will turn out.

Bermejo is more than ably assisted by an excellent script from Mattson Tomlin. Tomlin spends the right about of time introducing us to Thacker while leaving Ferris much more of a mystery. While we’re led to believe Thacker is the good guy here, there are enough clues – or are they red herrings? – to wonder if their roles aren’t actually reversed. In any case, Tomlin expertly weaves together the perfect mix of exposition and mystery to keep readers guessing as they are rapidly flipping through the issue for answers.

One big downside to the issue: At $9.99, it’s not cheap. That said, it is an oversized installment that features a creative team at the top of their game. While pricey, it feels like a good investment for what could be a key issue in the future.

While it may be too early for such bold proclamations, if this first issue is any indication, A Vicious Circle has the potential to be one of the greatest time travel stories of the last decade – or even longer.

A Vicious Circle #1 will be available for purchase on Wednesday.