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Elephantmen # 001: See The Elephant by Richard Starkings and Monitat
01/10/2006 . Source: Paul Skevington 
pub: Comicraft. 34 page comic. Price: $ 2.99 (US), $ 3.50 (CAN). Buy Elephantmen in the USA - or Buy Elephantmen in the UK  check out websites: www.comicraft.com , www.imagecomics.com and www.hipflask.com
I don't think that there's a comic event that's happened this year that I've greeted with more enthusiasm than the announcement that the world of 'Hip Flask' was to gain a spin-off title that would, heavens be praised, be appearing monthly. I'm glad to say that after having read issue one, I can confirm that all expectations for this book have been soundly met.
For those new to the story, 'Elephantmen' is set in a future world that has seen a new race arise, the result of a super-soldier programme gone awry. These genetically engineered human-animal crossbreeds have been released into society after the programme was shut down. They are now forced to deal with the twin burdens of their traumatic past lives and an uncertain future darkened by the hatred and bigotry of their fully human cousins.
The focus in 'Elephantmen' has shifted away from Hip Flask, the likable investigator from the previous titles, onto Ebony, a character who appeared briefly (three panels) in 'Hip Flask: Mystery City'. This was apparently Hip Flask artist Jose Ladronn's idea and in this issue it proves to be a great move for the creative team to have taken. Changing the chief protagonist has allowed them to affect a subtle re-telling of the central premise, aptly performing the balancing act of providing new material for established readers whilst not alienating those who are inexperienced with the previously published titles. The fact that they have managed to do this will play a crucial part in the success of 'Elephantmen' as an ongoing series.
One thing that regular readers will immediately realise is that Ladronn is not providing the interior art for this new title, limiting himself to the covers only. This can't help but be a disappointment to fans of his work in 'Hip Flask', for which he recently won the Eisner Award for best painter/multimedia artist. Richard Starkings mentions within the book that it takes Ladronn at least a year to complete each issue of 'Hip Flask'. This is obviously unsuitable for a monthly title. As this is the case for 'Elephantmen', they have enlisted the talents of artist Moritat.
It must be said that Moritat's work for this title does not show the same depth of detail that Ladronn's did for 'Hip Flask', but as mentioned, time restrictions almost certainly play a part in this condition. Having said this, I was impressed by the character designs for the little girl Savannah and particularly for Ebony himself. Moritat imbues Ebony with a deep emotional resonance. A sublime pathos sourced in his tortured expressions and dejected countenance, especially effective when contrasted with the magnificently bloody super-soldier Ebony of the characters memories. Moritat also inks and colours the title, giving him a high degree of artistic control that obviously pays dividends here. The palette is dark, conveying the desperation of this world without becoming too morose. This makes the occasional spot of brightness even more poignant. Savannah stick outs like a beacon of light in Ebony's troubled existence. The conclusion of the first story shows us that this is exactly what she is.
Moritat's art is supported by the comic's wonderful script, provided once again by series co-creator Richard Starkings. As before, he has transcended his initial proposal of producing a fun and pulpy Science Fiction adventure to create something interesting, complex and massively important to the genre's current development. Its mixture of humour, disturbing imagery and genuinely moving moments can't fail to win over the enthusiasm of even the most casual reader. As an added bonus there are two stories in this issue. The first piece introduces us to Ebony, whose encounter with a curious human girl brings some painful memories to light, forcing him to address both his past and his future.
The second tale is entitled 'Just Another Guy Named Joe'. It's narrator represents the average human citizen of this gloomy city in four pages that show why both they and the Elephantmen have reason to fear the times to come. Both pieces demonstrate that Starkings is a force to be watched in comics, a pro who knows when the characters need to speak to us and when they need to stay quiet. His silences are deadly.
In the months to come it will be interesting to see if the comic maintains its two-story structure or whether it might be beneficial to change to one per issue in order to allow a deeper exploration of the subject matter in each successive instalment. I can only wish that this series has a long enough run that all of its myriad possibilities are explored to the fullest. Consider my fingers well and truly crossed.
Paul Skevington
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