TERMINAL CITY
A vivid tale of life, mystery, and murder in a dead city

Writer: Dean Motter
Artist: Michael Lark
Colorist: Rick Taylor
Letterer: Willie Schubert
Trade Peperback
Published by DC Vertigo 1997
$19.95

Reviewed by Brian Domingos

You must read this book. I'll admit, I bought it because of Michael Lark. I love his work. His gritty, yet surprisingly clean pencilling style draws me in. I'm just a big fan. So that's basically what sold me. But what made me stick around was the story.

"Dean Motter knows how to write an interesting, original crime novel."

Dean Motter knows how to write an interesting, original crime novel. He based a cast of distinct, funny, sometimes cliched (in a good way) characters around the main character: the city. Terminal City is one of the most fascinating places I've ever been. It's like Peter Bergman said in his introduction: 'Terminal City is a metropolis that made it into the nineties, but actually stopped dead somewhere in the fifties.'

Terminal City is spent. It's old and worn out, decades past its prime. It looks as though the world stopped and the citizens of TC kept it going. These citizens though, as I have said, are quite different. They live, work, and survive in the city. From the city. The first half of the story is basically set in a hotel called the Herculean Arms. This is where it all goes down; there's a mysterious man with a suitcase. There's B.B., the new girl in town. And Cosmo Quinn, the story's hero (if it must have one). Of course, there's also a serial murder, because every great crime story needs one. Later on, millionaires come back from the 'dead,' a slew of murders and a man fist fights the missing link. It's all here.

"[Lark] captures the setting of this dying city, but still manages to give it life."

It is a story of reclaiming former glory, of overcoming the odds. Motter and Lark have come together to create something really special. Though I would have enjoyed this story in novel form, the art definitely made the story complete. Lark's pictures are amazing. He captures the setting of this dying city, but still manages to give it life. His visuals of the figures is the most fun though. From the Woman in Red, to El Toro's humorous facial hair, together with Motter, Lark really brings the cast to life. TERMINAL CITY is something I recommend to everyone. I cherish my find on that faithful rainy day last July. It's one of DC's masterpieces over there from their Vertigo imprint. It should be read by everyone at some point. It is all here. Nine fabulous issue of the first TERMINAL CITY miniseries; a story beginning, middle and end, and seeds for the future. What more can you ask for?

Recommended

Brian Domingos is a regular contributor to PopImage.

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