I tried. I really wanted to be wrong about Veil because Fejzula’s style is so unique but no, no way.

Rucka’s hiding this lame story about big business hiring some guy to conjure a demon in the comic, which ostensibly is about the titular protagonist but isn’t at all. It’s about the evil magician, the dumb businessmen, the really dumb mercenaries–these guys wouldn’t have made it to the special forces, they’d be cleaning latrines–and rats. I think Rucka uses the rats because animal cruelty still gets a result. Cruelty to humans doesn’t.

Did I mention the bad dialogue yet? Rucka writes a lot of really bad dialogue here. It might be because he doesn’t know how Fejzula’s going to bring the scenes together. I’ll extend that possibility, though I don’t really believe it. The dialogue’s atrocious.

Rucka doesn’t use Fejzula well either. The art’s interesting, but doesn’t fit.

D- 

CREDITS

Writer, Greg Rucka; artist and colorist, Toni Fejzula; letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Shantel LaRocque and Scott Allie; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

The first issue of Veil just had present action scenes, no exposition. This issue, Rucka adds exposition. He adds rapist cops–and their compliant partners, he adds fundamentalist Christian preachers who make deals with demon conjurers–and he adds a lot of dialogue.

Oddly, it also gives Fejzula a lot less to do. More stuff, but less interesting visuals.

Unfortunately, all of the additions are bad and they’re all at the expense of the title character. Veil, this issue, just sits around until she conveniently goes off–doesn’t like waffles. The guy helping her talks to himself the entire issue and his dialogue’s terrible.

There’s an early moment to forecast the problems–the guy freaks out because he can’t climb over a dumpster to escape the cops. Not the rapist cops. Presumably regular ones. Why can’t he climb over the dumpster? Nice pants?

It’s so bad it’s not even disappointing.

D 

CREDITS

Writer, Greg Rucka; artist and colorist, Toni Fejzula; letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Shantel LaRocque and Scott Allie; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

I’m hesitant to wonder if Greg Rucka and Toni Fejzula are going to be able to maintain Veil’s success into a second issue and beyond. Fejzula’s art approximates watercolors, which is a complete disconnect from the issue’s content. Lovely watercolor panels set against the story of a woman who wakes up naked in an abandoned subway and then in a bad neighborhood.

Rucka and Fejzula are challenging the idea of Sturm und Drang with it, not to mention with the girl–the titular Veil–actually finding a nice person. Even in the moments of ultra violence (watercolor ultra violence is another new one), Veil retains some positivity.

For that reason, along with its deliberate, self-indulgent (yet justified) pace, Veil is one of the best things Rucka’s ever done. He and Fejzula aren’t pushing the comics medium’s limits, but they are knocking it over to see how it works.

B+ 

CREDITS

Writer, Greg Rucka; artist and colorist, Toni Fejzula; letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Roxy Polk, Shantel LaRocque and Scott Allie; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.