Review - The Secret Service - KingsmanReview by Paul Fiander
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Dave Gibbons,
Mark Millar, Matthew Vaughn The Secret Service - Kingsman will be releasing in April 2014. |
Heroes can in many shapes and sizes, for some its sportsmen like David Beckham or actors like William Shatner or even fictional characters portrayed on the silver-screen. But for every recognisable hero in the world there are armies of people who don’t get the universal adulation of celebrities who really keep the world running. These include nurses, fire-fighters, soldier and many more professions who hardly ever capture the public imagination but really deserve the title Hero. This is where we find Jack London an extreme form of an unsung hero. Although a fictional creation his job (although dramatised) is one that is essential for the world we live in, as Mr London is a spy and not just any spy but the best Britain has to offer.
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That is a slightly long winded and convoluted opening to a review and for that I apologise, now on with the review.
The story revolves around the relationship between Jack and his nephew Eggsy, even though both were born some years apart in the south-east London borough of Peckham they have very differing lives. Jack is a spy while Eggsy is a want to be criminal with a talent for stealing cars and getting caught by the police. It’s one of these episodes that brings his uncle into Eggsy’s life with an opportunity too good to be true. Millar with co-plotter Matthew Vaughan have used an often over looked part of London (apart from its association with Only Fools and Horses) and crafted a narrative that both plays up to and tries to destroy the cultural stereotypes associated with the area. At times I found myself laughing at a character as they reminded me of someone from my life and at others thinking this is pushing it a bit too far. Importantly though all the characters feel plausible and that gives the story a great basis to work from as we discover all is not well in the world of international espionage. |
The story about the London boys is overshadowed by a series of mysterious kidnappings centred on the great and the good from the world of entertainment. With no real connection between the victims of these abductions (except there celebrity) it’s up to our super spy to find out the truth and pull his nephew up at the same time. The spy story has some great moments and gives a great twist when you least expect. At times it feels a little cliché and the ending feels very safe and Hollywood but thankfully the rest of the journey is strong and so it’s not that debilitating for the narrative.
Art wise we have a comic book hero for many in Dave Gibbons, one of the best compliments I can give him is he knows how to draw ugly. This is a book with one foot firmly rooted in the here and now so to be filled with only beautiful people would make it unbalanced. Likewise if the normal people were drawn as grotesque then it would be equally odd. Thankfully the art is pitched perfectly in terms of character models. The depiction of Peckham itself is a little shakier as it feels very open in the panels we see. It’s a problem when you grow up in an area and you have knowledge of the type of structures that appear. It’s not too bad but you do lose some of the claustrophobia estates like that can cause, again this is a personal observation and it does not detract from the main story. The art though is a definite reason to buy this book, each page has something to catch your eye and the action is vibrant.
Overall this is a very strong story and it could well be a spawning point for more in the Secret Service line. There is a film due out at the end of the year and I can see it should be very translatable in its present format to the silver screen although it will be interesting to see what changes are going to be made. The Millarworld is growing to be one hell of a collective ensemble and Secret Service is a great addition.
Art wise we have a comic book hero for many in Dave Gibbons, one of the best compliments I can give him is he knows how to draw ugly. This is a book with one foot firmly rooted in the here and now so to be filled with only beautiful people would make it unbalanced. Likewise if the normal people were drawn as grotesque then it would be equally odd. Thankfully the art is pitched perfectly in terms of character models. The depiction of Peckham itself is a little shakier as it feels very open in the panels we see. It’s a problem when you grow up in an area and you have knowledge of the type of structures that appear. It’s not too bad but you do lose some of the claustrophobia estates like that can cause, again this is a personal observation and it does not detract from the main story. The art though is a definite reason to buy this book, each page has something to catch your eye and the action is vibrant.
Overall this is a very strong story and it could well be a spawning point for more in the Secret Service line. There is a film due out at the end of the year and I can see it should be very translatable in its present format to the silver screen although it will be interesting to see what changes are going to be made. The Millarworld is growing to be one hell of a collective ensemble and Secret Service is a great addition.
Rating 4/5
Images courtesy of Titan Books
Book - Provided by Titan Books
Book - Provided by Titan Books
