Thursday, November 10, 2016

Best elements of 1970s combine to form the hypnotic "Mayday"



Sex, drugs and rock n'roll.  Fast cars on open oceanside roads.  And even hippies and Russian agents.  First issue of Mayday is an engaging trip to the not-so-recent-past, a time when some women would use public restrooms while completely naked, and when drugs and alcohol and seductively relaxing music were galore.

Written by Alex de Campi and illustrated by Tony Parker & Blond, Mayday #1 features an espionage story involving Russian KGB agents on US soil that is immediately captivating.  When a USSR defector is harboring a priceless microfilm by hiding in America, an agent (Codename: Felix) is responsible for retrieving it and returning it back to Russia.  Along the way, he will meet some free-spirited hippies, and will (accidentally?) trip heavily on a very potent liquid dosage of LSD.  The scene in question is illustrated by Parker & Blond with such hypnotic and trippy imagination that anyone who's ever been high on such a hallucinogenic will instantly be able to identify with it.  de Campi also does a good job of scripting those and other scenes during the Cold War era with just the right amount of homage and inspiration.

The Soviet themed cover design is likewise a cool ploy, and a cosmetic element of this comic that immediately captures readers' attention and curiosity.  Since Mayday is a limited series (there will be five issues in all), it is bound to conclude by springtime, according to my estimation.  Now, in addition to wanting to see the flowers bloom, there is another reason to look forward to the season of rebirth.
B+

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