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Gypsy Joe Jefferson - A Man With a PlanBy Joe Hilliard Viper Comics out of Dallas Texas is an independent publisher known primarily for the Dead @17 series. This week we take a look at one of their upcoming standalone action mystery graphic novels that stands on its own. Gypsy Joe Jefferson by Jason M. Burns and Armando Mendoza follows Joe Jefferson, ex-boxer, and escapee from a secret government-funded project as he attempts to uncover what has happened to him. What he's become. And why. This may sound familiar in this age of conspiracy theory-a-go-go, but Burns does a very good job of keeping it fresh. First, Burns takes the time to develop Joe as a fully-fleshed out character. Joe Jefferson is a very specific man with a very specific background, and a very specific problem. No stereotypes of the fugitive, the ex-boxer that he could have short-handed with. These are a part of the character, they aren't the character. It was refreshing to follow a protagonist in a comic that you can really care for, as a person, not just as a creature in peril. He also takes time to develop the secondary character, Jody Curtis, Joe's unwilling sidekick beyond the potential one-trick pony physical defect that fits her into the plot, and makes her believable, while not breaking the plausibility of the plot. It bends, but it does not break. Her unique gift may be necessary for the story, but Burns succeeds in making it flow naturally from the plot as well. Without giving much away, Joe has been super-soldiered, but not in the conventional sense. He's been turned into a living time bomb. Every five minutes, his pheromones cause mindless violence in those around him. Burns starts the story in medias res with Joe sitting in a diner, explaining how he got there. Burns packs a lot into this book; it's filled with caption boxes and voice over. It's introspective and moody. The drawback is the first few pages are overloaded with up-to-speed exposition. I love meaty caption boxes, especially when dealing with a first person narrative, but it does slow the very beginning of the book. This is a very minor, minor quibble in a very well-written book, though. Burns really has a good grasp on his story, where he wants it go, moves it along, and makes it moving at the same time. Readers should not stop, but go with the flow of the book. It pays off in the end. Mendoza's art took a minute to grow on me. Early pages reminded me a lot of Kyle Baker's art, especially in the facial expressions; favorably. At first, I felt it was too cartoony for the story, but his pencils quickly grew on me, with this vibrant style of his own. His faces are extremely expressive; they neatly compliment Burns' writing. Mendoza also shows some really good action scene chops. In a book predicated on a violent act at least every five minutes, it takes a lot to keep the action from blurring together. With some nice silhouette work and some really amazing faces, Mendoza keeps the book from bogging in repetition, and keeps the book lively. I ended up really liking the pencils on this book. I would love to see Mendoza's work on a humorous title; he'd be perfect. Definitely an artist I'll look for more work by. Currently Gypsy Joe Jefferson is slated for a July 2008 release. Take the time to check the book out, especially if you are a fan of good action books with a conspiracy bent and corporate misdeeds, and want it flavored with good, funky penciling and a strong narrative. Writer Jason M. Burns website can be found at: http://www.jasonmburns.com/ . Viper Comics website is: http://www.vipercomics.com/ . Check them out. 
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