“Thomas Alsop,” is written by Chris Miskiewicz, with art by Palle Schmidt, and published by BOOM! Studios. What I find appealing about this comic, and I believe you will too, is Chris Miskiewicz’s love for New York. “I love New York.” That phrase never got old, even if it ranks as one of the most popular of all time. Time and New York. It is a city at once rapid and methodical. Many stories. Many possibilities. And many ghosts. Miskiewicz taps into what we find fascinating about NYC through the story of a man destined to act as an avenging angel in the service of the island of Manhattan.
Thomas Alsop is the current “Hand of the Island,” a title handed down from generation to generation. This may sound sort of aristocratic but, no, it’s more down to earth than that. Thomas is just a guy who is most happy letting it all hang out, naked except for all his glorious tattoos and an electric guitar as he nurses a hangover from hell, literally from hell. As he makes clear, a bad night for him, is not the same as a bad night for you.
Thomas is a whiskey-soaked hipster who just happens to also be a warlock. This supernatural connection dates back to one of the early Alsop ancestors. We get flashbacks to events and characters from colonial New York that hang heavy in the present. Past and present continuously clash.
Palle Schmidt’s artwork does a beautiful job of evoking hard edge as well as spooky gentility. Thomas is depicted as both edgy and spooky. There’s no escaping it. An Alsop will always listen to the island’s needs and act accordingly. Thomas Alsop will always respond to his duty. But things are never quite that simple. In one of those clashes between past and present, the present wins out. In a great twist of irony, in order to remain inconspicuous, Thomas must be part of a reality TV show with a supernatural theme. It’s a great premise and this comics series looks like it’s up to the challenge.
“Thomas Alsop” is available as of June 18, 2014. For more details, visit our friends at BOOM! Studios right here.
