Kafka

The Team
Writer Steven T. Seagle Artist Stefano Gaudiano

Kafka is a series originally released in the 80’s by Steven T. Seagle and Stefano Gaudiano. It is a title that has shown you a glimpse into the past of both of these creators. Upon first glance the biggest change in style from then to new is Stefano Gaudiano, who has almost completely changed. The book was a four issue mini-series inspired the success of Kevin Eastman’s runaway hit known as the Ninja Turtles. While there were few books that caught onto that ridiculous amount of success so quickly, this title shows two creators really learning their craft. As mentioned in the back of this new hardcover, the two pumped this title out monthly by themselves. The pair were also full time college students upon the production of this comic. What makes this re-release into hardcover so lovely, is the history of the title. There are nearly fifteen pages of extras giving more context into the work itself. Unfortunately these history pages are actually more interesting than the content itself in most cases.

Part of the new charm to this collection of the series is the inclusion of colors. The way that they are introduced into the work is truly brilliant. The story focuses on a man shedding his identity in order to conform to the government. Writer Steven Seagle missed an opportunity in these pages, as this story has only a few twists. With a power of misdirection of the mind, numerous series have capitalized on giving readers a thick plot. Taking your audience more seriously, can often payoff down the road as those who do not understand exactly what is happening simply enjoy the ride. The story here may be thick, but dialogue and the surroundings of the page are sparse. comparisons to some of the best works of Frank Miller seem apt in this context. Readers should have an easy time connecting with protagonist Daniel Hutton because his motivation is so simple at the surface level. One of the huge plot holes that really bogs the comic book down, is the fact that Hutton never uses his powers until the end. Throughout the title he could have saved his own skin numerous times. By nature Daniel should be impossible to control.

The title really starts to impress when it comes to the artwork. There is a certain devilish charm in watching Stefano Gaudiano completely unleashed. The artist does not hold back, as he throws conventional artwork out the window and draws a human in a distinct style. In his contemporary work the penciller has started to draw with more precision and smoothed many of his edges off. It is hard not to wonder what it would be like if the storyteller took his art deeper in this strange direction. The design work featured by Seagle is also a treat for the eyes. Sparse covers and the original logo design are bound to peak the interest of the average comic book reader.

While this is an interesting story from both of the creators here, there is some missed opportunity in terms of the narrative. The real reason to buy this title is for the super fans who are interested in gazing at a splash of new color, and the history of the title featured in the back. This an interesting early work for two unique creators in the industry.