Chris Cooper reviews the first issue of Gateway, from IDW….
“In a surreal setting where a red sky burns bright and the blanket of night brings a terror known only as the Dark Souls, ex-cop Jake Ryan struggles to make sense of his surroundings. Gate-Way is a story that weaves a rich tapestry of loyalty, lust, intrigue and betrayal as beggars, thieves, priests, and murderers all vie for power in a world that rewards the bold and enslaves the weak.”
Having read through this twice, there is one overriding feeling I’m left with regarding Gateway #1.
What is the point?
I’ve seen everything here possibly a gajillion times before. The rough cop who trusts his gut. Drug busts gone wrong. A human stronghold holding off evil forces whilst working towards ulterior motives. It’s all very samey.
This feeling of lifted story beats might be alleviated with some cracking art. But we’re out of luck on that count. A murky palette, with little variance in facial expressions, does not combine well with a complete lack of imagination when it comes to panel placement. It’s as though a simple template has been used, with it all being so square. It’s just really dull! Square follows square follows square.
There are loads of panels which just consisted of a face and words. Not much in the way of action. Back and forth conversations with interchangeable faces do not make for a great page turner. There is a lot of truth in ‘show, don’t tell’. A lot of the feelings that are explained could have been shown with better composition and body language.
On the other hand the team did have the balls to shoot a dog and show it. But I rather like dogs so that wasn’t a high point for me.
It’s just all a bit boring really. Maybe they shouldn’t have bothered opening this gateway.
Chris Cooper
Originally published January 15, 2014. Updated April 11, 2018.
