The Black Diamond Detective Agency

By Eddie Campbell
Published by First Second, 2007. $16.95

The Plot: It’s near the turn of the century. The last one. A mysterious guy is living out in the American wilds. He rides up just as the big new train is pulling in to much fanfare. “The train was bang on time,” Campbell writes. And, with a huge explosion and the theft of a safe from inside the train, we’re off and running with a cross country hunt for the robbers (and killers) who managed this heist. There’s struggle for control of the investigation between police, feds and the titular investigators, and the tale of this mysterious man from the beginning and his even-mysterious-er love story.

The Good: There’s a pretty damn good chance that First Second will earn publisher of the year honors come December (or whenever we finally get to awards). They’ve pumped out a ton of great stuff since coming on the scene last year, and this book is another hit.

Campbell’s art here makes me wonder why his previous Alan Moore collaborations have been so mediocre (I just always thought the guy’s work was mundane). Here, he uses what seems to be a combination of oil paints and pastels to infuse warmth into a story of cold blood. Campbell also mixes up the page layouts, spinning anarchic structures that feel like memories floating along the ceiling.

His writing is particularly sharp in the realm of dialogue. The characters are a pretty assorted bunch who constantly spew forth the mix of dire warnings and silly jokes that law enforcement types are known for (I actually work as a crime reporter, so I can tell you the stereotype is true).

The Bad:If every cloud has its silver lining, then every good thing Campbell does has a dark side.

While I’m happy to see him creating more expressive (and memorable) art, he almost goes a bit too far some times. His really wild forays into design border on illegible. And, while I admire experimentation, ultimately a good comic has to be readable.

And the great dialogue eventually becomes a bit tired as there’s a bit too many “talking head” frames and too few of actual action (I don’t mean explosions, more just a lack of movement).

The Grade: B+ While this book certainly has its drawbacks, it’s nothing if not a heck of an entertaining read and a chance to see an old artist learning some new tricks. In other words, I’ll take this Eddie Campbell over the From Hell version any day.