Revolver
Reviewed by Ron

So this week, Vertigo released a new original graphic novel in hardcover called Revolver. Putting it out on the shelf, I didn’t pay too much attention to it. I vaguely remember seeing something about it in Previews, thought it looked fairly awful, and then moved on. Throughout the day, though, it sat there, in the sun, until finally I looked at it just right, and something about the cover caught my eye. I took it off the shelf, feeling the warmth it had grown in the heat of the day, skimmed the description on the back, and decided to maybe give it a chance.

I’m glad I did.

Revolver, by Matt Kindt, is one of those rare books that comes along with a very interesting scenario pulled off pretty spectacularly. Above that, though, it’s also a story that leaves some deep thoughts floating in your head that you will find yourself dwelling on for hours and days on end – or at least I know I will.

The story focuses on Sam, your typical guy who is stuck with a crappy job, a horrendous boss, and a materialistic girlfriend. Every day he goes to work, goes home, goes to his girlfriend’s, etc., etc. His life is the ultimate embodiment of consistency, to the point it’s unbearable. That is, until the clock hits 11:11 PM. Then. when Sam closes his eyes and goes to sleep, he wakes up in a different world. A world where the U.S. is under martial law. A world where avian flu has killed millions. A world where Seattle has been destroyed by a dirty bomb. But… a world where he has a chance to make a difference, to be someone he could never be in his “normal” world.

Revolver takes an interesting approach to this premise. Of course, Kindt explores the possibility that Sam is just crazy, which is to be expected – travelling throughout multiple universes whenever you sleep at night is a sure sign of insanity. What makes Revolver so ingenious, however, is when Kindt explores the possibility that Max is not insane, but that everything that is happening to his is real… and it might not just be happening to him.

Kindt creates a character in Sam who is like any person alive, but in a good way. Sam is timid, but scared of what he can do when push comes to shove; he hates his life, but is too weak to make any real changes to it. Sam is you. Same is me. Really, he is such an easy character to relate to, it’s almost scary, and that’s actually how he can carry the story. If I hadn’t been able to relate to the character, I would’ve put the book down, because then the entire thing is just a high-concept gimmick at that point. Being able to feel what Sam feels, in both worlds, though, made me want to push on to the end. I wanted to experience the journey with him, because it was journey, too.

Without a doubt, the majority of the story-telling here is flawless. Ultimately, though, the ending is a bit of a let-down. I’ve noticed a trend in all form of media where things should just end earlier, and, really, Revolver should have ended about eighteen pages or so earlier than it did, right around page 150. To be honest, when you read “Revolver” stop at tha point, and you’ll find the story so much more fulfilling. Beyond that, it seems like added material to just placate an editor, or to create a “Hollywood” ending.

But, stepping away from the story, I have to look at the art, too – I mean, this is a graphic novel.

Kindt’s style is simple, at best, and has that “indie” feel that a lot of people like to find in less-than-mainstream comics just so they can say they are reading something “edgy” and “removed”. I’ve never been a fan of “indie for indie’s sake”, and looking over Kindt’s art, it’s a lot like watching a Gus van Sant film: you know there’s something better there, he’s just too lazy and stubborn to go for it - he wants to look cheap, low-budget, and somewhat trashy. Some amazing artists work at Vertigo, and considering the high quality of the story, I doubt it would have been hard to find someone competent to do the artwork. I’m not complaining about the colors, because the dual-color package works, but the actually lines on paper… it’s weak, distracting, and takes away from the overall experience of reading Revolver if you can’t manage to find a way to look beyond it – honestly, for the “normal” world, I just imagined what Ryan Kelly would’ve drawn, and for the “disaster” world, I imagined the fine work of Riccardo Burchielli, but that’s just me.

Now, I know it seems I’m being harsh on the artwork, but really I’m just being honest. I will say that at times it works well with the story, but not often enough for me to want to appreciate it. I mean, this kind of artwork really only flies with stuff being printed in basements, or something being put out by Fantagraphics. I don’t like seeing bad art with a good story; however, I do remind myself of the fundamental rule of comics: a great story with bad art is fine, great art with a bad story never flies. Luckily, Revolver is the former.

So, I got all of that out there; what’s the review?

Out of five stars, I’m still going to give this one a four. I loved the story that much, and was able to move beyond the artwork (much as I did with Dark Entries) enough to really get into this book and enjoy it thoroughly. I loved the levels of philosophy that Kindt put into the story, reminiscent of Elephantmen or Kabuki, as well as the grittiness of the world and depth of the characters, reminding me so much of DMZ. Really, this is the kind of excellent story-telling I’ve come to expect from a Vertigo comic, and it awesome enough for me to recommend Revolver highly, as it’s easily one of the ten best graphic novels I’ve read this year.

Definitely, check it out.