Garrison #1 - Jeff Mariotte and Francesco Francavilla

As the cover image conveys, who is Garrison? After reading "Garrison" #1 of the new, six-part WildStorm series, I'm still not sure. And to add insult to injury, I don't feel like finding out.
That's too bad, because writer Jeff Mariotte is a great writer of novels and comics. This antihero creation, however, lacks something.

Here's what we know: uni-monikered Garrison is a drifter dressed in a cowboy hat, dog tags and blue jeans. To the dismay of the federal government and local authorities everywhere, he roams from town to town killing people. He's been caught numerous times ... but only on surveillance footage.

Federal agents Jillian and Bob wonder about his motives and mission, too, when they come face-to-face with the guy in the parking lot. Garrison kills Bob and, before vanishing, tells Jillian that Bob was going to kill her, anyway. And there you have your mystery.

Mariotte's done what he can to plant the seeds for a story to sprout "? and maybe one will "? but this initial dose curries no favor. The main reason is Francavilla's art. It's competent, but in a perfunctory manner. It comes off as rushed, or at least where characters' faces are concerned. In comics, that can be a fatal blow "? the face reveals emotions, so when they don't come off as looking correct, you have a missed opportunity. "?Rod Lott

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