THE VICTORIAN #1-25 and the curtain draws closed By Alex Ness

After 25 issues, the Penny Farthing comic THE VICTORIAN comes to a conclusion. Plotted to run that length as in a 5 act play, this work qualifies as one of the best works to have appeared in comics over the last 5 years. I will try to avoid spoilers here, but I would like for you to go to Penny Farthing Press and consider their generous offer for the three trade paperback collections, Act I, II, and III. I promise you that if you are patient this series will be a wonderful read, and one that pays dividends.

The series was masterminded by Trainor Houghton, and carried out in part by a variety of brilliantly talented cover artists, included amongst them: Neal Adams, Michael Kaluta, Gene Colan, Bernie Wrightson, Timothy Bradstreet, Jim Steranko, and Howard Chaykin. Writer Len Wein scripted much of the series. Art chores were shared by Claude St Aubin and others. The work in its component parts is good, the whole story as now completed is something quite a bit more, and is rather perfect. You see, while the comics industry has adopted six-issue story arcs as a mainstay, a process called story decompression, PFP and Houghton adopted a 25 issue story, one that never moved along artificially slow, nor artificially fast. There are certainly people who might have become bored with the pace, but that is not a consequence of this story, rather, a consequence of a reader’s attention span.

For some perspective upon this title... secret societies from the Victorian era not only existed, but thrived. The historical truth is that the over arching spread of Victorian culture led to many different outlets of violence, sex and rebellion to deal with the iron fisted cultural rules of Victorianism. In this series, in addition to expressions of secret disagreement and conspiracy, was a society devoted to the defeat of evil, a single master of action, in many forms, committed to bring down evil.

Through the many eyes of the characters, but particularly FitzRandolph and Laszlo, we see a great conspiracy, a theft of a nuclear submarine, the missiles thereof, counterfeit money, Voodoo, New Orleans,and a great many people groups and assorted interests. But above all, we come to see that the vigilante known as the Victorian (to us, to the people upon the street he is either nameless or known as The Hat for ‘his’ penchant for wearing Victorian style top hats) is hunting those who violate society’s morals and values. Additionally, the local color, the language, the temperatures and surroundings are all captured well here. For mystery, historical fiction, thoughtful thriller rivaling Da Vinci Code and more, the VICTORIAN as a complete series deserves your dollars. At no point was there a flurry of love for this title, but it deserved it. I just ask that if you want to try out the series, to not give up after a single issue. Because the layers here are so well done, you need to absorb a lot of the work before you get even a hint of a bigger picture. And beyond the layers, the construction and pace of the story means that there are no throw away story pieces, the whole of the work is unique to comics. The characterization itself was not the strongest point of this work, but that is not really the important thing. WHAT? Characterization Not Important? Yes, it is, but as with so many of the best fictional works, the setting and plot and characters are all worthy actors in the play. To focus upon one actor more than any other will diminish your overall experience. In fact, while the art is good, it is not great. While the writing is good, it is not necessarily great. While the parts of the whole are not great, the result is in fact Greatness.

Now that the story is complete, and this play is over, do you mourn its completion? No. Do you pray for a needless sequel? No. You linger in the afterglow. If you have never read this, you need to do so. If you have read a single issue here or there, then I recommend you read more. I am not a compensated endorser of this product, I am just very happy with the work before me, and the whole of the work I have read.

SIMILAR TITLES to look for if you enjoyed this series: So you read every issue of the VICTORIAN seven times. You loved it and you want more. What to read? Here are a few ideas. RUSE from CrossGen follows a pair of crime solvers in a mystic Victorian era country. LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN from ABC/Wildstorm follows the adventures and work of the literary figures of Victorian era England, as if the works about them were true accounts. SEBASTIAN O from DC/Vertigo is Grant Morrison’s Victorian era rebel, who has a good heart, but he is also a naughty, naughty boy.

FINAL THOUGHTS I need to send special thanks to Penny Farthing Press’s Michelle Harmon. Her wonderful support and aid and assistance during my reading and considering this title was without peer. Thanks to her, and best of wishes to both her and Penny Farthing Press.

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