Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Duncan Fegredo
Release Date: 21st May 2014
For when one opinion just isn’t enough, we’re happy to announce the return of the BCP Group Review, where no less than six of our intrepid review team take a look at one of this week’s hottest releases!
And getting the battle royale treatment this week is MPH, the latest addition to Mark Millar’s Millarworld.
With the news that the title has already been optioned for a movie by Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, we thought we’d take a look and see just what all the fuss is about. Here’s what we thought…
Gary Says…
Super Speed via super… speed. And that in a nutshell is the idea behind MPH, Yet another high-concept comic from Mark Millar.
It is a concept I wish I could ‘get’ but ultimately I felt this paled in comparison to other Millarworld titles (such as the current run of Starlight). It seems from the subject matter that the intention was to pull of a sort of gritty crime drama, yet I couldn’t help but pick out errors in logic that don’t add up — for example, a prisoner in a jail with a branded, labeled medicine bottle with MPH inscribed on it, this has the one special power granting pill. Though I have no doubt the mystery around where that came from will be cleared up as it forms the center of the mystery – the set up just seems very superficial. For now, at least.
There are elements shown in the main character that make him less morally bankrupt than the rest. For instance, he doesn’t – normally – do drugs and has dreams of settling down. A life of crime just isn’t for him, and yet I still wasn’t rooting for him. I just haven’t seen enough to warrant it. Perhaps with further readings this will change.
The artwork for me is what is largely what delivers here, with Fegredo adapting the art to suit multiple environments whether they be within prison or a nightclub as well as having a firm handle on the hyper fast visuals of the book.
One for Millarworld fans more than anyone else. It’s colorful, but for me it hasn’t quite delivered on the concept just yet.
Rating: 3/5.
Jules Says…
Mark Millar’s latest Millarworld offering is, like a lot of the imprint that has come before it, a simple idea simply told. Transplanting the concept of super-speed into the real work, MPH tells the story of Roscoe Rodriguez, a drug-dealer’s gopher with big ideas but little common sense. Finding himself in jail, it’s another kind of drug that actually changes his life, but not in the way he had planned for.
In its gritty world of gangsters and convicts, MPH feels lifted straight from TV shows like The Wire or Oz and Millar does a decent enough job of it, even if we’ve seen it all before. The story is preceded by the introduction of the world’s first speedster in 1986, who we catch up with at the end, hinting at a greater mystery behind what in this issue at least, is a fairly basic story.
There’s nothing basic about Duncan Fegredo’s art though. There’s a real sense of dynamism about every panel, not just the ones with super-speed. When Fegredo draws two people sitting talking for example, you can almost see them gesture as they speak, such is his mastery of storytelling.
There’s nothing mindblowing going on here, but it’s a good, solid story with some lovely art. I’ll definitely be checking out the next issue.
Rating: 3/5.
Ross Says…
Mark Millar’s quest to have the pieces of the superhero jigsaw on the floor in front of him so he can gleefully force them back together in weird and entertaining ways continues here.
Evil Batman and Superman done (or at least, halfway so in the case of Jupiter’s Legacy), he turns his eye towards the Flash, and whilst there’re some neat little touches in the story-telling – both script and art – you can’t help but feel that this is ground he’s trodden more interestingly in previous series. Still, this is but the first issue, and if you’re a fan of Millar’s slyly witty vulgarity, there’s a fair amount to like here, plus, the opening few pages imply a grander story arc that may well wind up in intriguing places. It’s not quite vintage Millar, but it’ll be exciting to see where it’s going from here.
Rating: 3/5.
Shane Says…
When it comes to a first issue there’s a fine line between setting the stage for a story clearly, and not setting it at all. Thankfully, MPH #1 sets up this particular story perfectly and sucked this reviewer in, leaving me anxious to find out what happens then the story “speeds” up in issue #2. I think one of the themes set for this tale boils down to – if you could slow time down to the point where you could do whatever you wanted with no chance of being caught or stopped, what would you do?
Mark Millar is one of those writers out there right now where it seems that no matter what he touches it turns to gold. The writing for MPH is solid throughout. It’s set in Detroit, so for many readers it’s a relatable setting, and the character backstories are not far fetched and hard to relate to but, are very believable and gives you a sense of understanding why they make the choices they make. Being able to make characters relatable to your audience in the comic industry is not always easy; I mean, none of us are ever born with superpowers, but a hero/villain that can arise from a circumstance or situation that we can relate to is always a great move. The main character is placed in a situation where he’s lost everything before being given offer of an escape which leads to a far more literal escape, and I for one think I would have made the same decision if I found myself in the same situation. So now, I’m waiting impatiently to see what choices he makes from here on out and to see if he chooses the hero’s path or the villain’s path.
Duncan Fegredo’s artwork for this series so far is visually stunning. The settings are highly detailed making if feel as if you were witnessing what you are seeing from right there in the room. The artwork in general is highly detailed; characters are well defined with individual features that set them apart from others, and the emotions they express through the faces tell the story in between what the words are telling us. I look forward to seeing how the characters develop and what places Fegredo will take us next.
Rating: 5/5.
James Says…
Super powers, usually the side effect of an accident involving radiation or some evolutionary leap, are now available in pill form. Moving at supersonic speed is now as simple as popping an aspirin. Not everyone is going to have the great responsibility that goes along with great power. Our protagonist here is not good, or evil, just somewhere in the middle trying to carve a living.
MPH is full of good ideas and seedy characters that challenge your expectations; a criminal boss with a self-help mantra, anyone? It’s well written with sharp, funny dialogue and boasts some nicely detailed art. MPH has got out the blocks quickly and is off to a great start.
Rating: 4/5.
Joe Says…
Taking a familiar concept (super-speed) and dirtying it up a little (characters gain their powers from an illegal drug) Mark Millar’s new series is Millar at his most Mark Millariest (that’s not a word, don’t look it up). The central character, Roscoe Rodriguez, is coasting through life, not knowing anything about super-powers and blissfully unaware that some of his friends aren’t so friendly after all. He’s a lot like Wesley Gibson from Wanted or Dave Lizewski from Kick-Ass.
It’s all very glossy and entertaining but it does seem to be covering a lot of the same ground covered in Millar’s previous work. The art is nice though. It’s highly detailed, well staged and bursting with energy and Fegredo shows super-speed in a cool and largely refreshing way. As this is a Mark Millar project, expect a film adaptation in a couple of years.
Rating: 3/5.
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