Alfredo Castelli (Writer, Creator)
Giancarlo Alessandrini (Artist)
THE HYPE: MARTIN MYSTERY #2 kicks off the first part of a 2-book story - that's 200 pages total! This time out, Castelli takes Martin on a quest that seems all too familiar, but the execution of that quest is bold and new! This is the story of Excalibur, the fabled sword, and how it was smuggled away from Hitler and his Nazi brood.
THE STORY: The Heilige Lance. The Spear of Destiny. The Holy Blade. Excalibur. What ever its name, it is known throughout time and history as a great source of power, often woven into Christian sermons, Medieval lore, and Arthurian legend. Martin stumbles across a conspiracy that wrestled this weapon from the hands of Hitler... but now he has to find the sword before religious and scientific factions uncover its true - other-worldly - origins!
THE WRITING: Castelli makes 100 pages a joy to read. This issue is packed with history and legend, facts and fiction - and he blends that line between them to perfection, in a way that only fuels the hysteria in the book. Throw in some action and humor from Java the Neanderthal Man, and MARTIN MYSTERY has plenty of plot elements and supporting characters - all demanding as much attention as the lead character himself! This reads like a self-contained story... right up to the cliffhanger ending! More comics need to read like this, demanding the same amount of time and concentration as a 2-part X-FILES Tv episode.
THE ARTWORK: Like the first issue, Alessandrini runs a little inconsistent. Some panels seem very Joe Kubert, but other sequences, especially some with Java, really get rough and sketchy. But even during the bumps, the design and storytelling are strong... Only the linework on the figures, and maybe some background detail suffers. Still the narrative laid down by Castelli picks up any slack, and together they tell a compelling story that links King Arthur to Hitler to... Martians?
THE BOTTOM LINE: MARTIN MYSTERY is an exciting adventurer, who should appeal to fans of INDIANA JONES, FOX MULDER of the X-FILES, and DC COMICS' METAMORPHO. It has a real detective / adventure pulp feel, and the mysteries seem to span the globe. Solid stuff translated from the Italian originals.
Grade: A-.
