Private Eye #2

What a difference an issue makes. The first issue of Private Eye was rather lacklustre. It had the famed BKV cliff-hanger, but everything else was just setup and exposition, nothing to really sink your teeth into. It provided you with all the Alan keys and textless blueprints, but this second issue was where the Ikea furniture started coming to life.

This issue introduces us to the villain, and builds up our protagonist more and more. Giving our paparazzi the much needed motivation as to the why he would leave his cocoon of reluctance and emerge as the Phillip Marlowe we all (or just me) hoped he’d become. It also announces the arrival of our hero’s quick witted and fun sidekick Lady Nunchuck, and the soon to be femme fatale.

Everything stepped it up a notch the art, the colour, and the writing. It was an impressive shift from being somewhat mediocre into something good. I went on record saying I wasn’t a fan of the art and colour. Looking through the second issue now, the art and colour are very similar to the first, but this time they did more than just show the story. This time there was creativity in how they panelled the issue, like how lighting would affect their colour pallet. Stylistic choices also paid off big time, such as using silhouettes which combined really, really well with the ridiculous colouring.

I think the best way to describe Private Eye #2 was that there were moments in everything the art,  the colour, the story and the writing. It was like watching a dance crew, where every member gets the spotlight for a couple of seconds to show their special tricks.  It’s what was missing from the first, and what I hope continues as the issues grow in number.

Seeing all these stars starting to align is a great sign. It’s still not there yet, but it’s getting damned close. I’m giving this one an 8/10.