Un-Men #3

Un-Men #3
Well, now, those final two pages were the absolute creepiest thing I have ever read. Possibly the creepiest thing I've ever been exposed to. Or not.
While I still have little clue as to what is actually going on in this book, I find myself drawn back inexorably to it every month. I can't explain it. It's certainly not a bad book, but usually I've given up incomprehensible titles by this point, or am just about to. And yet, I find myself wanting to read the next issue of this book. And the next. And the next. And the next. For as long as it continues. Perhaps it's the intriguing central character. I suppose that there truly is nothing freakier, so to speak, than an albino "black" man. Yet, there's not anything otherwise unique about this character. I'm not up on the old Swamp Thing comics that introduced the Un-Men. But I've read the Wikipedia entry. And I don't think I'm really missing much.
No, if I had to pin it down, I'd say that what keeps me coming back every issue is the sheer style of the writing in this book. I don't know how else to explain it. This book's got style by the bucketload.
Still, I don't understand more than half of what I've read. A very high OKAY.

Un-Men #2

Un-Men #2
Although I still have little or no idea what's actually going on in this title, I find myself strangely and inconceivably intrigued. I truly have no idea why. It's not that the characters are compelling, although, in a way, they are. It's not that the story is all that great, because I really don't understand any of what's been happening. It's not that the writing is excellent, although it's certainly competent. I'm still not quite sure what to make of this, but I am sure about one thing. It'll read much better in the trade. OKAY.

Un-Men #1

Un-Men #1
A solid beginning to what may turn out to be the best DCU Vertigo series in quite some time. This series is being set in the constraints of the larger DC magical/mature audiences universe, no retcons, revamps, or reboots required, continuing directly from the story in American Freak, but hopefully fixing some of the continuity errors it introduced along the way. If John Whalen's letter at the end of the issue is any indication, it's already doing so by acknowledging Anton Arcane's creation of the first generation Un-Men.
But it's not really about that. The freakish personalities and settings herein are merely color to a noir detective story. And this story hits all the right beats: hard boiled outcast detective, a beautiful woman, a conspiracy, a murder, a cover-up, etc. It's darn near perfect. Just with freaks. And Cranius!
A VERY GOOD first issue that has me looking forward to the next with fervor. Unlike several of the new generation of Vertigo titles: Creeper, Deadman, and Army @ Love, none of which I am reading any more. I quit Creeper because I couldn't stand the revamp/reboot. I quit Deadman because it made no fucking sense. And I quit Army @ Love because it's stupid, pointless, ridiculous, and boring. Here's hoping that Vertigo will actually get it right on this title.