Norma Editorial has published Old Dog, the new work by Declan Shalvey, the artist who, along with Warren Ellis, created one of the best Moon Knight levels.
Declan Shalvey is a man of many talents. His best-known role is as a cartoonist, many of us remember his collaborations with Warren Ellis in Moon Knight (our review here) or in The Needle, but the Irish artist is also talented with a pen. Works like Time Before testify to Shalvey’s skills as a screenwriter.
Norma Editorial brings us the latest work of this versatile artist Old Dog, where we look at how he works as a scriptwriter, illustrator and colorist.
An unusual spy thriller
Jake Lynch was once a promising CIA agent, but a failed mission left him sidelined. Now retired, he spends his days at the office, but he’s given a field surveillance mission and… something goes terribly wrong and he spends eight years in a coma. When he wakes up, he realizes that something strange has happened to his body. The CIA believes him dead, but another secret agency, Circulo Negro, is interested in his “new skills.” Jake agrees to join the new organization because he believes he can still fight.
From here, the main character, now codenamed Rottweiler, will have a series of secret missions all over the world. The secret agency will give you an agent with more than one secret labrador to act as support.
His years with Warren Ellis seem to have helped Shalvey pick up some tricks. At Old Dog we find each chapter to be a different mission. The chapters may seem personal to each other and this is partly so, but at the same time we are being told a bigger story behind them.
It may seem that we are watching a classic spy comic, but from the beginning we realize that this is not the case, although it is full of topics of this genre. The structure of the script is strange, jumping back and forth, making it a confusing read, but it all has a reason, Shalvi wants to create that confusion in the reader. The twists and turns of the script and the unusual narrative will have a reason at the end of this volume.
Although there is a general narrative thread, Shalvey uses each chapter to explore different themes such as the past, family or coping with change. If this doesn’t interest you, don’t worry, there are plenty of action and violence scenes and a great mystery to solve. The bad humor is very much present in the tone, although there are moments when it doesn’t seem to work very well. Lets you know how the Rottweiler adventure continues.
The most amazing thing about this comic is not only the narration, but also the drawing. We are dealing with a perfect example of how both the picture and the script come together to tell a story, which cannot be understood separately. To say more is to spoil the comic, but we assure you that the picture is fantastic, with amazing panels. The violence is highlighted a lot and there is no attempt to draw the most violent scenes at any time. It only emphasizes the artistic quality of the paintings and the color is by Shalvei.
The Old Dog Edition 1 by Norma Editorial
Norma published the first volume of this series in good quality softcover, measuring 17 x 26 cm. The spine is stiff enough, but flexible enough to make reading very comfortable. The quality of the paper is also more than acceptable. With a total of 152 pages, you can purchase this first volume for €21.00.
Old Dog 1 is a very promising comedy. Declan Shalvey demonstrates his ability to tell, draw and color a very interesting story. The comic can be difficult to read due to its unusual structure, but the ending is such a fun read that you’ll want to know what happens next. The graphics are great and the action scenes are amazing.
Old dog 1
Authors: Declan Shalvey
Publisher: Norma Editorial
Format: Tapa bland
Dimensions: 17 x 26 cm
Pages: 152 in color
ISBN: 978-84-679-6459-2
Price: 21,00 €
Summary: The new series as a full author by Warren Ellis Needle Carton and Moon Note
Jack Lynch was a highly promising member of the CIA. On the brink of retirement, after leaving a failed career, he is given one last mission… and fails miserably. Years later, he awakens to a changed world… and even more changes within. When a ruthless organization offers him a second chance at a life of adventure, Lynch teams up with the least professional man he could imagine.
The Old Dog is an exciting new sci-fi novel born from the talents of multi-award winning author Declan Shalvey, who has worked on such works as Moon Knight, Alien, X-Men Unlimited, The Needle and Time Ago.