JAM Reviews The Chill - Vertigo Crime - DC Comics

The Chill – Vertigo Crime: DC Comics – Released January 2010

Review by JAM

Supernatural killers, ritualistic mythology, a female serial killer that is seen by no man the same way, and the man who loves and lost her long ago. Yeah, this is really a cool novel if you tend to like these things and do not mind the mature rating that goes along with the Vertigo Crime graphic novels.

Arlana Flaherty and Martin Cleary are young lovers in the highlands of Ireland in the late 1960s that discover that she is more than she seems. Frozen in body after their consummation, Martin later thaws to find Arlana and her father Cormac gone from their countryside home and wonders what has happened to him and his love.

Fast forward to current times in New York City where we find Martin Cleary masquerading as an old beat cop from Boston and on the trail of the serial killers depositing bodies in gruesome ways all tied to the Celtic Tribhas or triple death using the earth, the sea, and the sky. Able to absorb the life essence of those they kill, the father and daughter are cutting a swath through New York and only one man can find them. Victims continue to fall that are tied to the investigation as the “glamour” surrounding Arlana allows her to appear to men as the woman of their dreams, which leads witness accounts to vary completely even as video captures her true image of a 60 year old woman. Twists and turns abound as Martin and the NYPD try to catch the killers with no faces before things get truly out of hand.

Writer

Jason Starr is the writer of The Chill, a renowned crime novelist who is definitely at home in the noir world in which the Vertigo Crime novels are set. This one drew me in pretty quickly as Starr weaves a sordid tale involving a supernatural gift/curse passed on from the druidic days using tantric energies to sacrifice life to the sky, the earth, and the sea. Between the supernatural ties, the morbid death scenes, and the characters which each seem to have a secret life that bites them in the end, Starr keeps the action flowing and the story continuous as you begin to feel for the daughter trapped by an abusive father taking advantage of her. Or so you think. I think I am going to have to check out some of Jason Starr’s novels, because he kept me drawn in to this world and waiting for each page turn with baited breath. Give this a try if you are a fan of the grim, grimy, supernatural noir novel, and you don’t mind the mature artwork that comes with it.

Artist

Speaking of the artwork, Mick Bertilorenzi is the artist involved in the visuals of The Chill. An Italian artist, I believe, this is the first I have seen his work and I am truly impressed. From the rolling hills of Ireland to the seedy alleys of New York, Mick travels on the edge of noir darkness, using shadow and shading to enhance his lines when needed and controlling the story as it goes. Death scenes and body dump sites, high rises and warehouses all stand out in their differences and become characters themselves as the story continues. I believe Mick Bertilorenzi is going to be an artist to watch in the years to come, and I truly enjoyed his involvement on this project.

JAMS Ink on The Chill

I have always been a crazy fan of the supernatural and mythology from various areas of the world and the Irish mythology aspect of The Chill held my attention from the very beginning. Add in some beautiful artwork, a beautiful shape-shifting woman, and some really cool mystical spears and you have a crime novel in pictures that was a lot of fun to read. I would like to think I would have made a different choice than the way the book ended, but it does tie into the Vertigo Crime aspect of the novels. I would definitely recommend this if you think this is your cup of tea.

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