7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Strong Second Volume in the Series, October 9, 2003
This review is from: Ruse (Paperback)
Enter the Detective (the collection of the first six issues of the "Ruse" series) sucked me in, and so I had to continue the adventure in this volume. Again, the setting is very similar to gaslight Victorian England and the book opens with super-genius detective Simon Archard and his assistant/partner Emma on a train, bound for the countryside. The first two chapters follow them as they try and track down Simon's archnemesis by finding some tribe of gypsies. This takes them to a strange town that is uninhabited by day, full of townspeople at night, and seething with evil. The mystery here is quite a good one, creepy and effective.
The third chapter is a murder mystery which puts Archard fully on the trail of his archnemesis. The final three chapters play out their subterranean mano-a-mano battle amidst fantastically elaborate clockwork constructions, with Emma making the occaisional valuable contribution. Their struggle is interspersed with flashbacks explaining their history together, and how they came to be enemies. It's a titanic struggle that ends up unresolved, with further adventures to follow which tie back into the evil magical baroness of Enter the Detective . The story is laced with humor and plenty of witty banter between Simon and Emma.
As in the first volume, the artwork is unbelievably rich and detailed, every panel is excellent, and many times unusual perspectives are given to the most mundane scene to make it interesting. The panel flow can be a bit confusing at times (a couple times I had to break stride to figure out if I was supposed to read across the both pages, or continue down the left-hand page), but it's a small price to pay for the inventive paneling. The level of detail on clothing, architecture, and interiors is just amazing, and the colors work perfectly in conjunction. Great artwork with a compelling storyline that hearkens back to the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Moriarity.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You're in for a treat: Sherlock Holmes + an even more scornful attitude + a sometimes magical setting = CrossGen's RUSE, July 11, 2009
This review is from: Ruse (Paperback)
Those jonesing for some cool out of left field comic books can't go much wrong with RUSE, the only negative being that RUSE is now a defunct series, a casualty of its publisher CrossGen Comics's capsizing. But, for 26 issues, RUSE gave its readers something different and smart and fun. If you're the sort who relishes Victorian era detective mysteries - and, in particular, Sherlock Holmes mysteries - and if you don't mind a whiff of the supernatural, then go and dig up this old bone.
The fantastic
Ruse: Enter the Detective (Ruse Traveler) introduced the central characters and also recurring sorcerous villainess, the Baroness Miranda Cross. The six issues collected in that TPB are must-reads as writer Mark Waid sets up his world-building and begins to work in key themes and ongoing plot points. One such arc, Archard's discovery that an old enemy yet lives, leads directly into this second volume THE SILENT PARTNER (collecting issues #7-12).
Pressing on with the Sherlock Holmes motif, the predominant push of this stretch of issues is peerless (but oh so insolent) consulting detective Simon Archard's hunt for his demented archnemesis and once mentor/partner Malcolm Lightbourne (think Prof. Moriarty). Lightbourne had long ago been driven mad by the influence of and his pursuit of the Enigmatic Prism, an ancient artifact rumored to corrupt whosoever claims it. Lightbourne had long been working behind the scenes to wreak vengeance on Archard and to obtain the Prism, which he believes is safeguarded by Archard.
Archard and his lovely, spirited associate Emma Bishop depart the bustling city of Partington for a train trip halfway across the continent in pursuit of a lead to Lightbourne's whereabouts, even though Emma is tremendously irked that Archard is keeping things close to the vest with concern to their quarry. After surviving attempts on their lives by agents of the Consortium of Aggrieved Man Servants, Archard and Emma end up in a foreboding secluded village where, mysteriously, the residents emerge only at night. A band of harried gypsies get involved, a great wrong is righted, and interesting facts are unearthed regarding Malcolm Lightbourne. So it was a good trip.
Archard and Emma return to Partington and bump into a murder mystery and the possibility that mercenary daughters may have killed off their father. We also meet a feisty bearded dwarf lady from the circus who ends up lending a hand in the investigation. From there, Archard at last chases down Lightbourne, who by this time is so far gone that his latest devilish scheme revolves around the devastation of the city of Partington from below. It's a harrowing subterranean showdown which also offers moments of respite as Lightbourne falls prey to cliched super-villain talky-talk. This allows us revealing flashbacks which chronicle how Lightbourne came to recruit a young and stammering (yet already brilliant) Simon Archard to his detective enterprise. We then learn of Lightbourne's gradual descent to obsession and madness as the Enigmatic Prism enters the picture, and of the resulting falling out between the partners.
CrossGen Comics has a way of drawing out the best from its staff. Not only did the CrossGen artists turn in some of their best work in their careers, but ditto the writers. So I guess CrossGen's system of having all its staff collaborating under one roof had merit (although, from what I understand, Mark Waid was permitted to work offsite). But Waid knows how to turn in complex plotting and he's always had a handle on characterization. There's so much to like here, from the intriguing lead characters to the recurring cast which pops in and out. Emma Bishop is beautiful and engaging and the story is chronicled from her first-person perspective. On the other hand, Simon Archard isn't very likeable, the benefits of his formidable intellect somewhat stymied by his aloofness and a sheer arrogance which threatens to surpass that of Sherlock Holmes'. But dude's certainly compelling.
I'm very curious about Archard's network of operatives and also about the bumbling Consortium of Aggrieved Man Servants, which are butlers bent on killing Archard only to persistently botch it up. For whatever reason Archard seems to be oblivious to these attempts, but it's good for some laughs. The witty, caustic banter between the two leads continues to be a strength of the series, and I don't know that at times Emma isn't as withering in her comments as Archard.
The moody Victorian era is well realized, thanks to strong attention to detail given over to 19th Century decorum, the architecture, and costumes, and there's also a hint of steampunk sensibilities. I dig that Partington exudes a sense of otherworldliness, brought about by virtue of the gargoyles, common as pigeons, habitually darkening Partington's skies. And, again, magic occasionally rears its head, in which case Simon Archard merely factors it into his calculations. Not to mention, as we learned from the first volume ENTER THE DETECTIVE, Emma Bishop herself has the ability to momentarily freeze time, even though she's restricted from using it and Archard is ignorant of this particular talent of hers. The cases which Archard and Emma get into are elaborate enough, although I wish Waid had laid out more clues along the way so that the readers can take a crack at solving the mysteries.
Butch Guice's artwork is so very important to RUSE. I've checked his stuff out before in X-FACTOR and in ACTION COMICS, and honestly he's never been as masterful as in RUSE. His semi-photorealistic style here perfectly suits the series. For example, realistically rendering the folds and wrinkles of a character's wardrobe may not be big whoop, but I happen to think it's one of those key ingredients which determine how grounded the artwork and, therefore, the story is. Guice can draw folds and wrinkles, as well as architecture relevant to the period. And you'll rapidly notice that he's pretty damn impressive with drawing de gorgeous ladies. And, not to leave out Mike Perkins, who provides the complementary inks, and Laura Depuy, who does big things with the color palette.
And, yes, as a word to the wise, Guice's panels tend to roam straight across the pages, so that you have to read the thing all the way across instead of one page at a time. You get used to it.
Interestingly RUSE is one of the few titles in the CrossGen company which isn't tied directly into the Sigilverse. Having said that, the odds are that Emma Bishop is either a First, most likely a Sigil-Bearer's guide, or herself a Sigil-Bearer (most of the CrossGen comics feature a sigil, a mark of power branded on a key character and granting that person an extraordinary power). And it's easy to miss, but note that Archard's cravat pin is shaped like the sigil logo. For whatever that means. And that's what's sorry about this series, thru no fault of its own. CrossGen's financial collapse cut off RUSE's run at 26 issues and left its readers hanging. So we never do find out if Archard is actually a Sigil-Bearer, or how RUSE fits into CrossGen's larger picture. Another fallout is that the third planned collection trade RUSE Vol. 3: CRIMINAL INTENT never made it into publication. CRIMINAL INTENT would've featured the debut of Scott Beatty, who takes over writing the series with issue #13 (although he'd already been providing the script since issue #10). Mark Waid, by the way, left the series after issue #12, he and the CrossGen muckamucks mutually citing creative differences. So, well. Still, even if this is all we get of this terrific comic book, then my philosophy is that some of RUSE is better than none of RUSE. It's that good.
By the way, if you dig RUSE's vibe and if you're salivating (which is gross) for more sleuths plying their trade in magical environments, you may want to look up Lin Carter's Dr. Anton Zarnak stories, Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy, and Seabury Quinn's Jules de Grandin. See ya!
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