The newest chapters of Friday, the story of the young adult detective hero, are compiled by Image Comics in Friday, Book Two: On a Cold Winter’s Night.
Writer Ed Brubaker (Reckless, Friend of the Devil, Pulp, etc) presents our detective, who is grieving the strange death of a close friend. It’s puzzling, this death: the King’s Hill police investigation has been swept under the rug, and there is skullduggery going on around town. But Friday Fitzhugh digs in and vows that Lancelot Jones’ death will not be in vain. Justice shall prevail!
The writing is tight, the dialogue terse. There is no fluff in the word balloons, it’s all cut to the bone. But dead guys bones DO tell tales, and Friday is following them, smoking and swearing and sneaking out windows. It’s fascinating to see and experience how Brubaker can inhabit his characters with tics and habits that emphasize their quirky humanity.
Artist Marcos Martin draws the detailed scenes, letting the heavy emotions breathe, positioning figures in small corners of the panel. The wandering point of view, the traipsing across the scene, looking at the shadows, the odd facial features, the quietly ambiguous shapes and expressions. The story is filled with mystery, and some of it comes from what Martin shows us, and also what he keeps in the dark.
Colourist Muntsa Vicente deserves special mention for bringing further voice to the narrative direction. The focus of the reader’s gaze as we follow the trail of mystery and death is enhanced and modified by colour: a mood, an emphasis on something minor, a lingering lighting effect on a wall. It’s unique, it’s thoughtful.
This volume collects chapters 4-6 of the ongoing story first available online via Panel Syndicate.
Image Comics, Friday Book Two: On a Cold Winter’s Night, $15.99 for 124 pages. Mystery, crime, action, adventure
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