Elephantmen #1

Written by Richard Starkings

Art by Moritat

Cover by Ladronn

 

The world of Hip Flask has always been one of weird genre discordance. With its hippopotamus-man star rocking the trench coat and fedora look, it was a sort of funny-animal-meets-noir book—set in a sci-fi future.

 

With new series Elephantmen, Hip Flask creator Richard Starkings (perhaps best known industry-wide as a letterer elsewhere) adds some emotional texture to this strange world, and provides a nice, easy to digest introduction for first-time visitors.

 

In the 23rd century, mankind will create monstrous human/animal hybrids to fight wars on its behalf. These mutants are called "elephantmen," though they have the heads and builds of a variety of African fauna.

 

One such elephantman is Hip Flask, the hippo in the fedora, and another is a literal elephantman, Ebony Hide, the star of this first story, "See the Elephant."

 

Hide is smoking a cigarette (I know it causes cancer, but man, if I could blow smoke out of a prehensile trunk, I'd probably smoke too) in front of a Hooters (In the year 2259, buxom women with hot wings is still a winning business plan) when he's approached by a precocious little girl. He resists her flurry of questions—he knows he's something of a second-class citizen, feared and hated by the normal human beings—each of which seems to evoke a bad memory from him. Through flashbacks we learn of his creation, training, fighting and miserable life.

 

It's a pretty simple story, and not an entirely original one (well, other than the part where the grim, troubled adult resisting the child's innocent questions has the head of an elephant, of course), but it's dramatic and oddly moving nonetheless. Its last panel is half punch in the gut, half tug on the heartstrings.

 

The art, by one name only artist Moritat, is beautifully rendered and colored (and, obviously, lettered), and he finds a great deal of emotion in the simple changes of Ebony's eyes.

 

This issue also has a back-up story, also by Starkings and Moritat, that is presented in flip-book fashion (OMAC Project and Planet Hulk cover artist Ladronn provides the main cover, Mortitat handles the back one himself) which is much more simple, just a four page joke really, but it's an effective one.

 

Rating - 6