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Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Raúl Fernández
Colorist: Giada Marchisio
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
When I began reading Profane I was concerned. This is a comic done by industry veterans Peter Milligan and Raúl Fernández. Yet, as it started it read as a hamfisted crime drama by rookie creators whose insecurity was pushing them into doubling down on the most basic noir tropes. Was this simply working on the kinks of crafting a first issue or was there something more going on here? As the story continued the deliberate nature of what was being done became clear, but was that enough to make the experience worth it?
The story follows Will Profane a Private Investigator on his most important case…or is he? Will is lost within his memories moving from one spot to another not fully sure where he is heading or where he has been. So he does what he knows best putting clues together to figure out what exactly is happening. However, the further he investigates the more questions arise. Questions that are so important that someone is willing to kill to ensure they remain a mystery.
That mystery is what this entire first issue hinges upon. Quickly it becomes apparent this is a story that is not as it seems. After an opening that is riddled with cliches, we flash forward to a bar where Will is left to wonder how exactly he got there. Was he drugged? Did he pass out after witnessing something horrible? What if it is something well beyond the norm?
With so much of the issue being conversations, Raúl Fernández was given the challenge to make those conversations visibly interesting. Fernández’s skill with facial acting helps bring life to those moments. For
example, Will has a conversation with a singer that is clearly dealing with some major issues. She puts on this front that shows she is in command of the room, but when the music stops the story is much different. Her eyes show fear. Her eyes show pain. Her eyes show a broken person failing to hold back tears. Fernández’s line work was key to tell us more than the words on the page.
Part of this story contrasts the different ways storytelling mediums tackle the noir genre. How prose novels compare to comics is a central theme. We get a type of narration that is far more accustomed to what you would see within a prose novel with how it is overtly descriptive. At one point describing Profane to such a degree, you would think he was not on the page in front of you. What appears to be an example of overwriting becomes an element of foreshadowing.
I rather enjoyed the coloring work of Giada Marchisio who was a major part in establishing that noir atmosphere. Bars were low-lit to make the seediness all the more apparent. Only for the bright red hair of a voluptuous redhead to radiate yearning on the page. The running motif of using yellow with the character of Lili Macbeth was an effective way to literally highlight her importance in what was happening.
If there was one issue with this issue it was how you are waiting for the preverbal shoe to drop. You know the puzzle is broken so you are waiting for the pieces to come together. How that picture looks will inform the overall experience. So it can be a challenge to focus on what is in front of you because the clarity is purposefully clouded. To be fair I found the twist to be compelling and will certainly push me to pick up the next issue. I am simply not a fan of stories that are purposefully confusing, which is a subjective issue than an objective one. Others may appreciate this approach even more than I did.
Overall Profane #1 is two industry veterans trying to do something new with the noir genre by exposing what is old. It felt like Momemto by way of Stranger than Fiction, and I have the sense that it is only going to get stranger from here.
Overall: 7 out of 10
