Have you ever had to re-read a sentence? Something doesn’t click at first, too many bits of information are thrown at you all at once. Welcome to the world of The Creep. At first, it seemed like the most banal, convoluted thing I’ve read in a very long time. One page being totally juxtaposed by the next, like speed dating at a multiple personalities support group. It was very choppy and flash cut. No dissolves or smooth transitions from one idea or timeline to the next. Jumping around as it did, you may have gone though and tossed it to the wayside like it was one of the many prostitution flyers handed out on the Vegas strip. At least that’s what I hear. Bottom line is that much like good film, it makes you go back and think things through. Mr. Exposition isn’t going to hold your hand with this one.

My main issue with The Creep is that there is only one book hitting the shelves soon, and I can only speculate on concepts and ideas so far. With a very noir nod, you can easily tell from the style and sharp lines on the cover that they were done by one Mike Mignola. Anymore, it’s hard to say if Dark Horse is using this reoccurring gimmick as a “Hey pick me up ploy,” or if M.M. is just one of the most involved and giving conspirators in the comic world today. Written by John Arcudi with art by Johnathan Case, The Creep tells the story of a man in bad shape. Physically, emotionally, mentally, it’s a bit difficult to flesh out exactly where Oxel is coming from, where he is, and where he’s going. In a similar vein to movies like Memento, it’s a disconnect of linearaly where we are now in the story of a man who’s life is in a downward spiral or at least it was or will be. Arcudi weaves a story as well as my hairdresser hides the beginning of my weave without glue. The artwork by Case is very minimalistic, with slight shading and blocky square features for the men and scaling more and more rounded the closer the effeminate a character gets in the pages of Issue #1.

I can’t guarantee that you’ll like this book or even understand it. I can only suggest giving it a good two reading cursory glace. You pick up on things with a bit more clarity, like the morning after a night of drinking when you left with a ten and in the morning lying next to you is someone that owes you about eight and a half. Get a cup of hot joe and get on with the page flipping. You may thank me, you may not, but at least you’ll be able to say you read something today. Here’s your Book It sticker. Enjoy.