Dial H #1 review

We begin with two losers. Nelson Jent, not yet 30 and smoking himself to death after a run of bad luck. And Darren Hirsch, healthier in body but mixed up with a very bad crowd. When Darren is beaten up by thugs working for his boss, XN, Nelse runs into an old phone box to call for help.

But it's not Nelse who leaps out, it's Boy Chimney, scourge of, well, anyone who likes to draw breath rather than draw on a ciggie. Like a warped, heroic version of Nick O'Teen, Boy Chimney sees off the bad guys and, on returning to normal, Nelse gets Darren to hospital. Guessing that his transformation was linked to the phone box, he returns to it and manages to hit the four holes that turn him into ... actually, I'll leave that one for you to find out for yourself - the very name made me laugh hard. Coupled with the character's dialogue and appearance, I'd say we have a winner.

Of course, the guy's likely a one-off, this being an update of DC's classic Dial H for Hero concept (and that's the title on the indicia, if not the cover). Thinking on, given that it's set in Littleville, home to original Dialler Robby Reed, it could well be a continuation. Whatever it is, this comic is a hoot. Writer China Miéville gives his two heroes delightfully distinctive speech patterns and schticks, their natures apparently linked to Nelse's stare of mind at time of dialling. And they're not the only weirdos around, as the mysterious XN sends a black bile-spewing old lady to take on the transmogrified Nelse, and looks set to follow up with a sucker-fingered fellow. And on another intriguing note, Nelse seems to retain his own mind even as his other self is chatting away.

I loved this. The urban atmosphere reminds me of the old Monolith comic from DC (recently decamped to Image), with a dash of Hitman, while Nelse and Darren convince as friends, bound by suppressed affection and manifest disappointment. The scenes with the two heroes are wonderfully bizarre, in equal part due to the ornate artwork of Mateus Santolouco. His people aren't super-handsome, but neither are they grotesques - they're recognisable, helping root this slice of dark whimsy in reality. And when the scenes of high fantasy come, Santalouco goes wild with the character and page designs, ensuring that the tiredest of eyes will likely open with admiration.

Tanya and Richard Horie's colours are perfect for the piece, full of browns and greys, punctuated by flashes of brightness. Steve Wands' letters, meanwhile, subtly underline the mundanity and magic of the moments. And Vertigo editor Karen Berger pops back into the DC Universe to edit Miéville's script, his first for DC since, I believe, Hellblazer #250.

As for the cover, it's by Brian Bolland, so is a masterly summation of the comic's contents. By my estimation, this is Dial H For Hero's fourth shot at fame - five, if you include Superboy and the Ravers' Hero, but let's not. I think this time we can finally Dial H for Hit.

Nico O'Teen image borrowed from The Fortress of Baileytude. Do visit!

Comments

  1. I love this comic. This was just awesome. It did so much in a single issue, but never felt rushed at all. It introduced us to the main characters, the concept of our story, set up mysteries for later on to keep us interested, introduced the villian (but not too much, so not to spoil any surprise later on), the action was great and changed depending on the hero, and the art was great to look at even if some of the faces were offputting.

    This was wonderful and great first issue. It's the kind of story that I hope catches on with others becomes a hit like Animal Man or Swamp Thing. The Dark line yet again strikes with a great series!

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    1. Great review, and so succinct. I must try that sometime!

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  2. It doesn't take much for me to put a Dial H book on my reading list. It's just great that the book is actually a favorite (already!).

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    1. I'm going to pop right over to Siskoid's Blog of Geekery to see what you have to say!

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  3. I have been holding out for this since I heard it was released. Mine won't arrive till mid mail thanks to the wonders of snail mail but it's a relief to know it's gone down well!

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    1. I look forward to seeing your appraisal, Dan.

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  4. When I hear "urban atmosphere" referred to a comic, I know I would enjoy it a bunch, so I think I'll give it a try. The concept really reminds me of Major Bummer, an AWESOME series by John Arcudi & Doug Mahnke. They are one of the best artistic couples I have ever seen in comics.

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    1. I never did read Major Bummer - hated the title! Time to rectify that, methinks!

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  5. I can't wait to pick this up at the weekend! When I was a kid Dial H for Hero in Adventure Comics was one of my MUST BUYS (when the newsagents got it in, that is. Loved having so many new characters in every issue.
    Since then I've bought ANYTHING Dial H I could find.
    And the fact that this new title is giving me a Morrison/Case Doom Patrol vibe can only be a good thing too!

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    1. Didja get it yet, didja?*


      *This comment from Martin Gray, aged 12, of New Seaham, Co Durham.

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    2. Yep. Bought it and have literally just read it this morning on the train into work. LOVED PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING ABOUT IT! The retro phone booth. Mysterious villain in the background. Bizarre heroes. Great writing and amazing art. Brilliant stuff. Defintely coming back for issue 2.

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  6. I loved it too Martin. Good stuff. Now all we need is more science fiction or fantasy writers like Joe Abercrombie or Danile Abraham getting involved with superhero books.

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    1. I'd deffo rathe see fantasy writers over the telly horde ...

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  7. Hey Martin, you ever see this site: http://technorati.com/blogs/directory/entertainment/comics/page-3/

    Our sites are relatively close in rank. I've been bouncing between 48 and 60 for a good 2 months now.

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    1. Well I never, ta for the link? I hope we don't have to wrestle, or anything ...

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  8. Just to chime in, I loved it, too! This was a title where the first issue was definitely make-or-break... and it was solidly "make."

    Chimney Boy, for some reason (probably the Bolland covers) makes me think of the Green Cigarette from the Milligan Animal Man issues that followed Morrison's run.

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    1. 'Just to chime in ...' I see what you did there, Rob!

      I forgot all about the Green Ciggie, nice one!

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  9. I thought this was a great start to the series. I have't read any of the other incarnations of 'Dial H for Hero,' so I was completely in the dark upon reading the issue. But, in the end it made all that more intriguing. I'm a big fan of China Mieville, so hopefully he can keep lending talent to keep the ball rolling on this one.

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    1. If you want a flavour of the original Dial H for Hero, check out Siskoid's Blog of Geekery!

      http://siskoid.blogspot.co.uk/

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