Is reality real … or do you even belong here?
Creative Staff:
Writers: Michael Dolce & Talent Caldwell
Artwork: Tony Moy
Colors: Jorge Cortes
Letters: Michael Dolce
What They Say:
There are people on this Earth that do not belong. It’s up to a Chicago detective and a covert, inter-dimensional police force to send them back where they came from! Don’t miss this brand new five issue mini-series from the creative minds of Michael Dolce, Talent Caldwell, Tony Moy, and Darren Sanchez.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
It seemed like another normal day for Chicago police detectives Nate and Dex, until they receive a call for a grisly murder. The area is not a pretty sight as they survey the crime scene, the possible victim was CEO of Paradigm Energy Corporation Franklin Hodge but it cannot be confirmed due to one major difference with other killings … the man’s face is missing. While Nate can joke around even after seeing this horrifying killing, his partner is nauseated by the remains, but stranger still is the murderer stayed until he could clean up and grab a change of clothes. For now they can do nothing until the lab comes back with results, but as Dex is ironing out details with attending officers and coroner, Nate becomes dazed and does not shake out of the condition until focused back onto reality.
As night falls and Nate mulls over the details of this newest case in his apartment, Dex pays a visit to see if his partner is fine. Even this social call does not help since his friend is too preoccupied with an obsession springing from this current murder, it somehow being connected with past cases. His mood of course does not improve when his partner brings the lab results – even with all of the clues and fingerprints left at the crime scene, all the tests came back as inconclusive. Now ever more frustrated Nate does not know what to do next, until they receive a call signalling the victim’s credit card was used outside his former place of employment – Paradigm Energy. Not know what to expect, the team proceeds there alone, not wanting to call for backup … but is this the best decision for this twisted investigation?
In Summary:
When I first heard Zenescope was introducing a new series from one of their established writers Michael Dolce and fan favorite artist Talent Caldwell, I was looking forward to seeing the results, but now I am not too sure. The resulting title called The Mainstream may have sounded interesting on paper, but this initial execution is clumsy and lacking in clarity by introducing too many conflicting ideas. As I attempted to interpret the story through numerous readings, with each pass of the narrative I began to unravel new mysteries, but at the same time, it also added ever more indecision. We cannot get over the most jarring and unsettling stumbling blocks – there is no cohesive background to understand what is happening with Nate, how Dex met him and comprehends his background and the need to jump around with conflicting narrative tangents. While I can appreciate Dolce and Caldwell wanting to keep this character’s past elusive to allow for buildup, at the same time, keeping too much from the reader alienates them by making the story more confusing and building up frustration. The opening prologue may make us more conducive to the enigma which unfolds within the story, however it also serves as a conduit to the uncertainty which compounds as new elements are added from various unknown sources. You never are quiet sure what is happening, why Nate is in the middle of it and how dragging the audience and Dex along for this dubious roller coaster ride will make us want more of these supposed thrills.
To be honest when I read Talent Caldwell was connected to this project, I was expecting more of the gorgeous artwork he introduced us to from titles like Fathom and Wildcats, but was pleasantly surprised to see Tony Moy with similarly overpowering art style. While he may start slowly with strong jawed men and alluring women, his technique for building tension within progressive panels does not leave the reader wanting since we can watch the story unfold without a need for words. However it is colorist Jorge Cortes who does seems a bit unsure as we watch his palette envelope us within almost watercolor beauty, but stumbles when he jumps around from subtle shades and plunges into pages of overdone darkness. Although I can understand differences for light sources, there are times when the shadows are too pronounced to be accounted due to lack of illumination and seem to be emphasized all for emotional power. Over time you become used to this judgment as we shift to a nighttime environment, but this is where the illustrations dive off the deep end for lack of originality due to too many elements from sci-fi influences. It is understandable wanting to include tributes, but to overwhelm the reader within the last third of the story makes it impractical as if we are watching a movie or game adaptation: Mass Effect armored stealth suits, a travel bubble from Terminator and then the portal from Stargate. Even too much of a good thing can spoil a promising story and wondrous art.
With the premiere of The Mainstream now complete, you still have to consider the concept and how it seems as if the creative team became overwhelmed due to its complexity. While we may not know how the whole story will unfold due to lack of information, for now this first issue is incomplete due to that same lack of knowledge and leaves us feeling unsure of how it will progress. Although the premise is promising and artwork keeps our attention, this confusing cliffhanger still may lure us back to see how Nate and Dex will welcome us back into the another world and reality.
Grade: C+
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: April 11, 2018
MSRP: $3.99
