Art comes alive. Literally.
Art Ops is the latest big gun to be deployed in DC’s ambitious relaunch of the Vertigo imprint. It pairs The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys co-writer Shaun Simon with Madman creator Mike Allred for a tale about a clandestine group that defends living pieces of artwork from thieves and evildoers. The book boasts a great concept and a promising creative team, but this first issue isn’t exactly a home run.
Like many first issues, Art Ops #1 gets a little too preoccupied with setting up its world. This is understandable, at least, given the nature of the concept. There’s some necessary background information that needs to be established right out of the gate. Unfortunately, this issue never really moves past the setup phase. Too much time and attention is devoted to explaining the Art Ops and their mission. And even so, some fundamental concepts remain unclear. Readers are pretty much asked to take it for granted that famous paintings like Mona Lisa can come to life and live an entirely human existence outside of their two-dimensional world. Does this mean only paintings of human subjects are alive? Despite all the exposition in this issue, plenty of questions remain.
This focus on exposition and setup also means that the series comes up lacking when it comes to compelling characters. The book largely revolves around an elite Art Ops agent and her son, Reggie. Aside from this duo and Mona Lisa herself, the rest of the cast are little more than background figures. And Reggie is such a textbook example of “reluctant hero forced to embrace his destiny” that he fails to stand out in any meaningful way. Clearly there’s a lot of work yet to do in terms of allowing this series to live up to its potential.
Even so, Mike Allred’s art and Laura Allred’s colors may be worth the price of admission for many readers. Allred’s style has always had a strong ’60s pop art influence, which really pays off here considering the central conceit of the book. Allred’s art is restrained on some pages, focusing more on clean, orderly presentation and simple layouts, But there are other times where he really cuts loose and lets the visuals explode off the page. Reggie’s Jackson Pollack-esque prosthetic arm is easily the most impressive visual element in the book, thanks in no small part to Laura Allred’s vivid colors. Between this series, Twilight Children and the recently concluded Sandman: Overture, it seems that DC’s most visually impressive books are suddenly hailing from the Vertigo realm.
The newest Vertigo series is certainly a visual showcase. It also boasts a clever concept. But with too much focus on exposition and setup (despite the lingering questions about this universe) and a lack of any truly compelling characters, this first issue isn’t the strong debut Arts Ops needed.
