An enjoyable first part of a story about a physic intelligence service. PSIMEX Research Institute are a physic intelligence service and they are coming under significant pressure to deliver a substantial result. PSIMEX need to stop a war criminal from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. The story sets up the attack on the war criminal and the trouble that is unleashed.
The opening episode of any story must do a lot of heavy lifting, setting up the story context, introducing the cast and setting the wheels in motion. Mark Ryan has not quite pulled it off in this comic, the story is a bit muddy and the action takes over a little too late. There is clearly a great many threads being established, in an opening chapter there is a lot of room for the reader just taking events on faith that they will become clear later. There were too many of them relative to the time for the action by the team, the balance was off a little. Still there is more than enough going on to uccessfully rouse and sustain a reader’s desire to know where the story is going.
The art by Mike Grell is beautiful, it is pleasure to read, the cast are expressive and engaging, there is a depth to the art that draws the reader into it. The action scenes are full of energy and the talking heads demand attention. The colours by Jason Millet are spot on, they bring out the details of the art and contribute to the atsmohere in the story. They contract the shiny technology with the shadows of the business to lovely effect.
John Workman’s lettering is quiet and understated, it is easy and natural to read,adding to the rhythms of the action.
The Pilgrim clearly has big ideas and plans and very talented creators working to deliver them, as the story expands the problems of this episode will hopefully vanish from sight.
