Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Toni Fejzula
Release Date: 5th March 2014

Another group review coming you way, as Jules, Ross and Blair combine to share their thoughts on Greg Rucka’s new Image title, Veil. So take a look and see what they think.

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Jules Says…

Now this is promising. Greg Rucka is one of the safest bets in comics and it looks like he’s onto another winner with Veil.

A girl wakes up naked on a subway track and wanders up to the mean streets above where she proves to be not as helpless as she seems.

Having your main character wander around in the nip for most of the story could easily fall into cheap titillation, but Rucka’s smart script is helped by Toni Fejzula’s arresting pencils. Veil herself is rendered as beautiful, but there’s a scratchy edge to it that both suits the grimy feel of the story and heads off at the pass any accusations of exploitation.

Imagine Mathilda May from Lifeforce wandering around Travis Bickle’s Manhattan, throw in some powers and you’re getting close.

It’s only one issue in, but I’m onboard for the long haul. Awesome.

Rating: 4/5.

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Ross Says…

Veil is weird as shit, man. No real way to screw around on that particular point – this is a book that starts dialogue-less in a rat-infested subway station, replete with who-knows-why naked girl waking up on the platform, spouting gibberish as she emerges into the world above. As far as enigmas go, Rucka and Fejzula have knocked it out the park, smashed the scoreboard and maybe even taken out a couple of satellites within the first seven pages. By the end of the book, you’ll likely wind up intrigued, but scratching your head as to precisely why.

This is in no small part down to Fejzula’s mildly surrealist artwork – juxtaposing smooth outlines against chaotic, angular colouring and shading that rather elegant evokes a neon-bathed, dream-like underworld that is rather dangerous despite its garish affectations.

It’s hard to say at this stage if Rucka’s writing is decent, or simply vague enough to seem decent when linked up with the artwork. It becomes a little eerie towards the end when Veil takes on elements of River Tam – she can kill you with her brain! – and it’s all pretty well played, but it’ll be all for naught if it’s not up to scratch down the line. It’s the problem with any slow-burn mystery story – will it pay off?

At the moment, this one could go either way – feeling very much like it needs to be considered in the light of its latter issues. There’s the possibility that its once-vulnerable, now-empowered heroine could serve to derail it, thanks to the rather sombre implications that the manifestation of her powers have. But it all remains to be seen.

As an issue in and of itself, Veil is interesting enough, without being particularly showy, setting in place a solid mystery that’ll be interesting to see unwound. One to keep an eye on come next month’s issue.

Rating: 3/5.

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Blair Says…

It is important to understand that Veil #1 has absolutely no story. It is a sequence of events which have absolutely no explanation… within issue #1 anyway. The issue opens in a rat-infested subway station, a woman wakes up naked on the platform, she has no idea where she is and appears to have lost all ability to form simple sentences as she rhymes her way out of the station and into the busy street above in an unnamed city.

Toni Fejzula provides the artwork for this series and really succeeds in creating an amazing atmospheric appeal. The colouring of the issue begins quite abstract (which fits with the confusion our female lead feels at that time) and then begins to settle down as she emerges into the world.  The view angles, shading and increasingly thick lines add a hint of a horror atmosphere to this issue, but never getting to the point where the reader becomes uncomfortable.

It is too early to make a judgement call on Rucka’s writing on this series; however, there are certain scenes which look to indicate some strong writing indeed. For example, there are several scenes where the horrific act of rape are indicated, however this is dealt with by Rucka in a sensitive manner and never leave the reader feeling alienated and disgusted. An extra bonus to this issue is the added “Behind the Veil” page at the back of the book. This details Rucka’s creative process and gives an insight to his own personal feelings and fears about the Veil series as a whole.

I look forward to seeing where this series goes, but I don’t think it would be fair to give this issue any more than a middle of the road mark giving that nothing was really given to the reader story-wise in this interesting issue.

Rating: 3/5.