The debut series from writer Ben McCool initially caught my attention for two reasons: one, obviously, it's being published by Image Comics. Two, the wonderful Ben Templesmith is on art duties. Templesmith's work on 30 Days of Night, Fell, and Criminal Macabre is some of my favorite of the past decade, and so of course I'm on top of anything new of his like a hooker on crack. 



That said, I was delighted to find that not only was Templesmith's work on Choker #1 supremely satisfying, but McCool's characters wrapped their fingers around me so tightly that, excuse the pun, I thought I'd choke. I was drawn into the world of Shotgun City and its dirty futuristic noir. However, after the brief introduction to main character Johnny Jackson and his assistant Seaton Price, McCool's grip on my attention loosened ever so slightly as the pages wore on. 

Don't get me wrong, I loved the book and can't wait for it to continue, but for an issue that started out with such promise of something wholly unique, it devolves into expected fare for a private detective tale: a corrupt police force and the man forced to work for them. Granted, between the extremely strong characterization and Templesmith's haunting rendition of Shotgun City, the generic plot points are relatively forgivable. After all, this is only the first issue and there are plenty of directions McCool could lead us with such a terribly scary universe.



Templesmith's work here, particularly his colors, is what really does justice to the tone that McCool is trying to set. First and foremost, the gutters of every page are black, already tipping off the reader about the kind of tale to expect. Secondly, nearly every panel has an overall tone of a very drab tan or florescent light green, highlighted usually only by the pulsating neon glow of the various street signs populating Shotgun City. It's a cool, familiar look that adds tons of character to this fictional city.

Only one issue in and I'm hooked, I just hope that McCool resists the urge to float above similar stories that have come before his. Choker #1 is in stores February 24.