I am not a comic fan, at least not in the strictest sense of the word. I am a reader. I can recall many years ago, when I was very young, I remember visits from my Grandfather. I always was in total awe of the giant of a man, who was both very deliberate and subtle, while being both strong of mind and body. I remember his rituals – waking up before the sun every morning of a visit and walking to the Kwik Shop to buy his coffee and newspaper. He spent the morning reading the newspaper, and the rest of the afternoon reading whatever novel he had picked for the day. The written word was a passion I shared with him, even at that age, and I remember him telling me that we read because it was our “name.” Hard to argue the point, seeing as just about every Reade man (and a lot of the women) were avid readers. Being so young, I really latched on to the play on words, and immersed myself into the books and stories all the more.

So what does this have to do with not being a comic fan? Well, I have never been one to pick up a comic book because of the art. It is true that I appreciate skilled art when I see it, but the most important thing to be in a good comic book is the story. Comics to me are not something to enjoy just because they are comics – comic books are just another thing that I put in my “to read” pile, which is more varied than I can possibly describe here. As a “reader,” the comics I like the best are the ones written by someone who can tell a great story, and can keep my interest regardless of the art.

This week, I had the privilege of reading a few issues of A. David Lewis’s Mortal Coils (put out by Red Eye Press), and I was taken aback. I realized that reading comics had made me something of a lazy reader. I literally had to stop and re-read the issue I started with, because I found that this was not one of those typical comics where a light read is all that is necessary to enjoy the book. There was so much more going on between the lines that I actually had to pay attention to the subtle clues Lewis was giving me to fully grasp the stories he was telling.

Mortal Coils is an anthology title, each issue containing two stories that have a very Twilight Zone bent. Not so much in horror aspects, rather pure structure. Each story stands alone, during which Lewis builds the suspense towards the “twist” at the end, that both makes perfect sense and is completely out of left field. As to genres – well, there is no common theme in the genre other than suspense. Lewis drifts from sci-fi to drama with ease, and what kind of stories you get each issue is a mystery until you read it.

The anthology approach is refreshing. It is not the kind of thing you see a lot of in comics today, because frankly it doesn’t sell very well. And that is a real shame – comics are the perfect format for this kind of storytelling, and I would love to see more titles like this on the market today. Books like this are also ideal for the “new reader,” since you could literally jump in at any issue, and not have to worry about missing anything. Titles like Strangers in Paradise, though outstanding, are daunting for new readers. The challenge for titles like that one is trying to find the best place to start reading, and to continue reading until you have enough issues to really appreciate the title. On the other hand, a new reader could pick up issue three of Mortal Coils, and be just as satisfied as if they had picked the title up from the very first issue. The stories in each issue are stand-alone, and so far have no connection to one another. I have to say that this is an approach that is used far too rarely in comics today.

The tough thing about describing this title is that it is really impossible to describe the issues to you in any detail without revealing anything that would spoil the stories. Like the Twilight Zone, each of the stories seems to start somewhat in the middle of the lives of the protagonists, and throughout the telling you learn just enough about the characters to make the twist shocking and meaningful. This is something you are just going to have to trust me on – the stories are worth the read. They don’t share any particular genre bent, they are simply Lewis flexing his imagination. And it is a fun work-out to sit through.

Though I have focused a great deal on the story in Mortal Coils, the art in each issue certainly does not slouch. Artistic duties rotate from story to story, and with the exception of The Line, the art is presented in Black and White. The different artists really do lend different feels to each story, and all have done a great job of supporting and helping to tell these fantastic shorts. While the art in Mortal Coils is certainly not the main draw, it does help that it is solid in its own right.

In the end, I have to conclude that comics need titles like Mortal Coils. As good as any of the books we read in this medium are, very few of them could be termed literary. We all like to bandy about words like “pacing” and “characterization,” but those are just buzz words that Joe Comic-fan uses to make himself seem knowledgeable, and to give a lot of comics a more lofty literary standing than they generally deserve. When someone like Bendis takes issues upon issues to tell a story (though generally a good story), we like to call that pacing, and consider it great because it is slow. Structure – a word rarely heard in comics, is what Mortal Coils is all about. Structure, being the way a story is built, the way it is presented to the reader, is something a lot of our favorite title’s only hint at. Lewis proves with Mortal Coils that you don’t need a six issue story arc to tell a great story – he tells two in each issue. Kind of puts that whole misconceived notion of “pacing” that comic fans have into perspective.

Issue #1 of Mortal Coils is sold out, but fear not. There are still two other issues of the title available, along with the SPX 2003 Exclusive mini-comic, “The Line,” if you can find yourself a copy. Beyond that, there is a trade due out in June, “Bodylines,” featuring these four issues, 3 new stories, and tons of bonus materials including sketches, interviews, and an introduction by Mark Waid. If you can’t wait that long, I highly recommend each of you pop over to Caption Box and order the Mortal Coils set. It includes issues two and three, along with the SPX Exclusive “The Line” for a mere $5, including shipping (US only, though I am sure you can inquire about international shipping). That is an outstanding deal for that set, and will probably be the best $5 you spend on comics this year.

Credit Where Credit is Due –

Mortal Coils is
Written by A. David Lewis,
Drawn, Inked, and Lettered by Various.

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