Review: The Big Burn #1

There’s an interesting pacing to The Big Burn – it starts with what is essentially a 9 page short story that is romantic and tragic. Two first time bank robbers, Owen and Carlie, accidentally target the same vault and in the process of escaping, fall in love. And their love, built on their shared exhilaration and passion and disparate personalities (she’s the planner, he’s the charm), is, of course, doomed. Inevitably they are caught, and their future is uncertain. It’s a complete and effective story that could absolutely be its own comic. But it’s only the first fifth of the book, because then they meet the Devil.

I’ve had to sit with this book for a few days after my first read. I couldn’t figure out why, despite every part of the book working for me, it wasn’t quite clicking in. I felt a distance from the story, and it wasn’t until the second read that I understood why. It’s not a love story – it’s a breakup story. The excitement and warmth only exist in the beginning of the story, what follows is a story of regret, lies, and desperation. The tension between those two parts generates the conflict, but the beginning is so effective, the lack of it felt emptier and colder. It’s a bold choice from writer Joe Henderson, to kill his darling so quickly into the book. We are left with the same longing as his protagonist. 

The breakup section is also defined by a real drop in competence from Owen. When he and Carlie are together, their decisions are framed with success and confidence, even in the face of imprisonment. But when they are apart, he is literally murdered (don’t worry, it’s temporary), doesn’t seem to have a grasp of what was going on with Carlie before her departure from his life, and, after putting together a team of master thieves, reveals he has no plan. Without Carlie, his charm is effective at bringing people together, but not inspiring them to a greater end. These soulless crooks are making a play at hope, filtered through the lens of reclaiming love.

I’m relatively unfamiliar with artist Lee Garbett’s work outside of DSTLRY’s first teaser book, The Devil’s Cut, and last year’s Uncanny Spider-Man. In the former, you can see Garbett’s grasp on sensuality and anatomy that is at play here as well. His work most reminds me of Cliff Chiang, especially with his faces – they have angular jaws and noses, but the eyes are soft, not in shape but in effect. The exception is the Devil, whose eyes are cutting, granting a humanity to every other character by virtue of that one shared trait. 

Garbett’s art is colored by Lee Loughridge, both here and in The Devil’s Cut, and the pairing is excellent.  Loughridge has a ridiculously strong resume, including Cry Havoc, I Hate This Place, The Good Asian, Somna, and this year’s The Six Fingers, The One Hand, Scarlett, Destro, and this week’s Flash Gordon. Loughridge captures tone and evokes character with simple pallets, opting for primarily flat colors that are restrained even for the Devil. It gives him a dangerous sense of familiarity while also building on Henderson’s depiction of the “rules” – outside of Hell, the Devil is limited. Within Hell, Loughridge applies a hazy and scribbled technique that creates a dreamlike effect for the wide shots, firmly placing it outside the mortal realm. 

I recommended this as a Pilot Pickup originally, but after sitting with it more, I’m happy to upgrade it to a Series Pickup. Find this at your local shop and read it with confidence.

You can find The Big Burn #1 at a local comic shop near you, or online at DSTLRY’s website.

---

Want to talk comics?

Drop a comment! Let’s chat about this week’s books, what you’re looking forward to this year, comic questions, and more. And of course, subscribe if you haven’t already!