The White Suits #2

By Frank J. Barbiere & Toby Cypress

The previous, first issue of the White Suits was a little confusing, but definitely damn interesting. This series doesn’t really feel like anything else, and a big part of that is the manic artwork. Although there are still many pieces missing from this puzzle, the plot has smoothed out a little bit this month, providing a much more straight-forward read.

The writing in the White Suits has a very surreal, amnesiac quality to it; very fitting considering the current mental state of the main protagonist. The overall sensibility is one of tension and confusion that really works in favor of this particular story. Again though, issue #2 was quite a bit more straightforward than the previous installment. Of course, the White Suits themselves return for more slaughter in another bloody opening sequence. Prizrak and Sarah Anderson are also fully engaged in the hunt this time, but something big seems to be going down. This doesn’t end well for the protagonists! Sure, this issue was still slightly confusing in some respects, but it was certainly a pleasant read. Even amongst the amnesiac tone, Frank Barbiere employs some great narration which really gives a noir feeling to the book. There isn’t really anything else out there that feels quite like this miniseries does.

A big contributor to this surreal quality is the erratic and raw artwork. Toby Cypress contributes some very uniquely stylized illustrations using very minor color work. At times, the appearance of this issue felt slightly reminiscent of a Frank Miller tale, but it remains quite unique despite this minor comparison. The characters look strange and the environments are equally erratic looking, which adds to the amnesiac tone of the story. Furthermore, there are some really interesting panel layouts in this issue that really enhanced the dynamics.

The White Suits is a bit odd to be sure, but it’s all part of the mystery. The heavy noir sensibility and surreal tone will intrigue readers, while this latest issue provides much firmer ground for following the plot.