It’s a bridging issue. It’s got beautiful art, but it’s a bridging issue. Having a bridging issue on The Private Eye seems very strange because it’s self-published and digital and I’ve always assumed bridging issues were to meet some kind … Continue reading The Private Eye 7 (19 June 2014)

It’s an odd issue. There’s a lot at the hospital with the P.I.’s assistant recovering, then becoming the target of both the investigators and the bad guys. It’s all very dramatic and Martin does a good job laying on the … Continue reading The Private Eye 6 (27 March 2014)

After the protracted cliffhanger resolution, this issue starts getting really good and never stops. A lot of it is Martin. He’s got some breathtaking pages in this issue; it’s like he was waiting to impress. As for Vaughan, he goes for some good humor and some cheap surprises. There are a few predictable moments as well. The villain is the problem so far–since the evil plan is already revealed, there’s not much to him without giving him active antagonists. Again, predictable. Some of the smaller details eventually get revealed as more important than Vaughan implied. He contained his enthusiasm enough … Continue reading The Private Eye 5 (20 December 2013)

It’s the best issue in quite a while–maybe ever–but because Vaughan doesn’t try too hard. The most glaring exposition he gets in about the setting is a reference to Rand Paul’s presidency. The issue also feels like a private eye investigating. It opens with the detective going to a clothing store, trying to bribe the owner… with the exception of all the wacky costumes, it feels like Raymond Chandler for a second. And that feeling–amazingly–doesn’t go away. Not until the goofy ending, which still work because Martin does excellent art this issue. The clothes store scene just sets up the … Continue reading The Private Eye 4 (10 October 2013)

Well, it’s better than the second issue anyway. It’s a bridging issue, it turns out at the end. The private investigator is going to take the case, the sister is going along with him. His grandfather has some funny lines. Vaughan opens the issue with a flashback to the protagonist’s childhood. Apparently his mom was into kinky sex and died on her way home on night–Bruce Wayne he ain’t. Anyway, it’s hard to read the comic’s gender politics. There haven’t been any positive characters male or female…. Then there’s a flashback to the previous issue’s cliffhanger. Vaughan does a fine … Continue reading The Private Eye 3 (28 June 2013)

Let’s see what happens this issue. The lead has a sidekick. A teenage girl or something; she can do all sorts of stuff because she hasn’t relinquished her identity yet. He’s also got a partner in the sister of a dead client. Then there’s some stuff with the bad guy, who apparently runs a cult. There’s nothing with the grandfather, who was the best part of the previous issue. So what does The Private Eye still have going for it? I don’t know… it’s cost effective? Marcos art feels rushed, which is fine, he’s doing a creator-owned digital only comic. … Continue reading The Private Eye 2 (7 May 2013)

While there’s nothing new under the sun, there’s especially nothing new in The Private Eye. Brian K. Vaughan does come up with some interesting details for his future setting–cloud computing imploded, everyone’s secrets came out, now the news media has been nationalized and reporters are cops. Paparazzi are outlawed and basically are the new private detectives. Pretty sure a paparazzi is a person who takes pictures of famous people to sell them freelance, but not someone who has a client and investigates, but whatever. It’s got Marcos Martin art and a lot of it so who cares. The story for … Continue reading The Private Eye 1 (19 March 2013)