ArchEnemies Sinner And Saints Volume One By Hervé St-Louis Jul 17, 2007 - 12:39:25 AM

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Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Drew Melbourne
Pencils: Yvel Guichet
Inker: Joe Rubinstein

Vincent Darko is the heir of a super villain family and also the super villain known as The Underlord. Ethan Baxter is the roommate of Darko. He moonlights as the super hero Star Fighter. The problem is that Baxter and Darko are also each other's mutual arch nemesis. Neither knows the identity of the other, and both are trying to kill each other in and out of their costumes. Will they survive this odd symbiotic relationship?

Based on a good premise this series promised laughs like a classic Giffen and Dematteis comic book, like Hero Square or Formerly Known as Justice League. Well it didn’t happen. The apartment sharing drama is soon abandoned for standard super hero action with enough juxtaposed plotting trying to remain unconventional and unexpected. As unexpected as the action was, it wasn’t a great ride.

Most questions are eventually answered, but there wasn’t enough to make this reader care for the characters. It’s fun to see a story through the eyes of a villain as well as a hero, but the fact that Darko and Baxter are roommates seemed to have taken a quick backseat to the super action. Also, there just aren’t enough jokes and humour in this story. I mean, both share a cat, but we haven’t seen much about the cat and it’s perspective on living with both a super hero and a super villain. There were too many failed opportunities for a good action comedy.

It's not clear when the rest of the story, which ends on a cliffhanger will be published but it seemed that a movie deal is already in the works. I would recommend beefing up this series and making it more funny before letting Hollywood take its shot at it. Also, the trade paperback version is better to read than the individual issues which are can seem disjointed if read in one take.

Guichet’s work is boxy and testosterone filled. That’s right by me. He’s ideal for this type of super hero adventures, although he doesn’t quite get the facial expression needed to translate crazy subtle humour. But the characters all have their body types and interact well to one another. Although his work is exaggerated, there are good storytelling principles behind it. It reminds me of early Joe Quesada.

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