It’s a bridging issue. It’s got beautiful art, but it’s a bridging issue. Having a bridging issue on The Private Eye seems very strange because it’s self-published and digital and I’ve always assumed bridging issues were to meet some kind of publishing requirement or editorial mandate. Yet Vaughan does one here; maybe once you start doing them, you can’t stop.

A few things happen, I suppose. The kidnapped girl is still kidnapped. The P.I. fires a gun for the first time. There’s a nonsensical pop culture reference. And then the chase sequence, action set piece.

Like I said before, it’s beautiful. Martin does a great job with the chase scene in particular, just because he finally gets to let loose with something besides future design.

But Vaughan has run out of cool things to do with the story. It’s a really light issue and the series can’t support it.

B- 

CREDITS

Writer, Brian K. Vaughan; artist, Marcos Martin; colorist, Muntsa Vicente; publisher, Panel Syndicate.

It’s an odd issue. There’s a lot at the hospital with the P.I.’s assistant recovering, then becoming the target of both the investigators and the bad guys. It’s all very dramatic and Martin does a good job laying on the thrills. Vaughan actually ends up using some of it for comic relief, which is a little odd.

Otherwise, the issue’s spent with P.I. and his client as they discover things the bad guys are doing and talking about. Vaughan cuts back and forth, which is an adequate device though it’s a lot of treading water. Unless something major happens with the injured kid, this issue’s of the pointless, bridging variety. Vaughan’s not introducing any pertinent information. The future expository stuff isn’t pertinent.

Even though there’s a lot of excellent art from Martin throughout, there isn’t really a great set piece.

Vaughan is starting to feel disinterested on the comic.

B- 

CREDITS

Writer, Brian K. Vaughan; artist, Marcos Martin; colorist, Muntsa Vicente; publisher, Panel Syndicate.

After the protracted cliffhanger resolution, this issue starts getting really good and never stops. A lot of it is Martin. He’s got some breathtaking pages in this issue; it’s like he was waiting to impress.

As for Vaughan, he goes for some good humor and some cheap surprises. There are a few predictable moments as well. The villain is the problem so far–since the evil plan is already revealed, there’s not much to him without giving him active antagonists. Again, predictable.

Some of the smaller details eventually get revealed as more important than Vaughan implied. He contained his enthusiasm enough for a surprise. Very nice.

The character relationship between the private eye and his client is a little dull this issue, however. Vaughan never makes the girl particularly compelling and the P.I. is only interesting because Vaughan makes him so mysterious.

But those drawbacks can’t stop the issue’s success.

B+ 

CREDITS

Writer, Brian K. Vaughan; artist, Marcos Martin; colorist, Muntsa Vicente; publisher, Panel Syndicate.

It’s the best issue in quite a while–maybe ever–but because Vaughan doesn’t try too hard. The most glaring exposition he gets in about the setting is a reference to Rand Paul’s presidency. The issue also feels like a private eye investigating.

It opens with the detective going to a clothing store, trying to bribe the owner… with the exception of all the wacky costumes, it feels like Raymond Chandler for a second. And that feeling–amazingly–doesn’t go away. Not until the goofy ending, which still work because Martin does excellent art this issue.

The clothes store scene just sets up the P.I. and his client having to break into a library. Vaughan’s pop culture references are problematic (would libraries–or the federal government–survive a Rand Paul presidency). He goes for amusing rather than accurate.

But the library sequence is taut, thanks again to Martin.

Good issue.

CREDITS

Writer, Brian K. Vaughan; artist, Marcos Martin; colorist, Muntsa Vicente; publisher, Panel Syndicate.

Well, it’s better than the second issue anyway.

It’s a bridging issue, it turns out at the end. The private investigator is going to take the case, the sister is going along with him. His grandfather has some funny lines.

Vaughan opens the issue with a flashback to the protagonist’s childhood. Apparently his mom was into kinky sex and died on her way home on night–Bruce Wayne he ain’t. Anyway, it’s hard to read the comic’s gender politics. There haven’t been any positive characters male or female….

Then there’s a flashback to the previous issue’s cliffhanger. Vaughan does a fine job wrapping it all around itself; except he only does it to retroactively add another cliffhanger.

There’s some goofy stuff about future TV and then the bad guy reveals he’s stolen a nuke from an eighties movie.

As usual, it’s passable thanks to Martin’s art… and because it’s cheap.

CREDITS

Writer, Brian K. Vaughan; artist, Marcos Martin; colorist, Muntsa Vicente; publisher, Panel Syndicate.

Let’s see what happens this issue. The lead has a sidekick. A teenage girl or something; she can do all sorts of stuff because she hasn’t relinquished her identity yet. He’s also got a partner in the sister of a dead client.

Then there’s some stuff with the bad guy, who apparently runs a cult.

There’s nothing with the grandfather, who was the best part of the previous issue.

So what does The Private Eye still have going for it? I don’t know… it’s cost effective? Marcos art feels rushed, which is fine, he’s doing a creator-owned digital only comic. This issue’s art definitely suggests he’s going to continue to slack though.

As for Vaughan? He too seems to have expended all his effort on the first issue. There’s nothing interesting this time. He’s just treading water, maybe doing a couple laps.

It’d be upsetting if it weren’t cheap.

CREDITS

Writer, Brian K. Vaughan; artist, Marcos Martin; colorist, Muntsa Vicente; publisher, Panel Syndicate.

While there’s nothing new under the sun, there’s especially nothing new in The Private Eye. Brian K. Vaughan does come up with some interesting details for his future setting–cloud computing imploded, everyone’s secrets came out, now the news media has been nationalized and reporters are cops.

Paparazzi are outlawed and basically are the new private detectives. Pretty sure a paparazzi is a person who takes pictures of famous people to sell them freelance, but not someone who has a client and investigates, but whatever. It’s got Marcos Martin art and a lot of it so who cares.

The story for the first issue is pretty familiar too. Maybe Vaughan kept cutting to old film noir posters to foreshadow. Again, doesn’t matter. Martin more than makes up for it.

Since it’s digital-only, Martin does these 16:9 panels, a little less wide than traditional double page spreads. They’re beautiful.

CREDITS

Writer, Brian K. Vaughan; artist, Marcos Martin; colorist, Muntsa Vicente; publisher, Panel Syndicate.