VOX #1by Adrienne RappaportReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk.
Publisher
Credits Grade: 9 VOX is not a comic book in the traditional, serialized sense of the definition. VOX is a series of stories, some of whose characters appear in further issues, and many of whose tales are complete. Some stories have no words, and some have mostly words. And some have pages have only words — the bridge between one tale and the next, which gives the reader a pause and something new to think about. This first issue contains five stories and a "Pentad" series, as well as a few pages with quotes, writing, or images.Many people whom I know and respect — people who have different tastes in comics — have all recommended VOX to me. I was eager to read something that seemed to appeal to so many different people. I was not disappointed. The very first story — "Tacit" — so surprised and fascinated me, that I knew I was going to love every single page this man created. "Tacit" has no words. The sequential art is so clear and powerful that it explains the whole story. In fact, words would not be possible in this event. And the "Pentad" series start with rules: 1) No repeating images. 2) No visual exposition. 3) Narrative by juxtaposition only. 4) No words. With these rules, Purvis creates a series of four panel tales, each telling a story. Other stories, such as "Manos" and "Winter's Kings" use dialogue to engage the reader. Where "Manos" was a terrifying look into a Twilight Zone-like event, "Winter's Kings" was full of introspection and a bit of humor. Both stories left me amazed, with my brain churning in thought. Purvis' artwork is bold and direct. That he has taken classes to study the human form comes through clearly. You can see the pleasure he takes in different body shapes and builds, and body language. I also enjoy his line work, and his conscious choice to use different styles of art for different tales. Some have heavy black work and others are almost simple stick figures. I do not think that I have ever read a comic that challenges my preconceptions and makes me think the way VOX does. Written: May 5, 2002
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