Review -- REX

Rex
Art by Danijel Zezelj
Written by Danijel Zezelj
Optimum Wound Comics
If you like your comics dark, and in this case I reference both artistic style, and storyline, then Rex from Optimum Wound Comics is a must.
The 70-page graphic novel from creator Danijel Zezelj is amazing on several levels.
Since comics are a visual medium, let's start with the artistic style.
Zezelj has rendered Rex in darkly detailed black and white. He uses a definite 'noir' style, which has many panels heavily inked. The art is both graphic, in terms of spattering blood and explosions, yet is sort of surreal because of the heavy inking.
The result is eye-catching, somewhat disturbing, and overall, just plain good.
Asked about where the darkness in his art comes from, Zezelj said that was something he gets asks quite often, although he finds answering it difficult.
“I often hear this question and don't know how to answer it - because I don't see my work as dark at all. I guess something is wrong with my eyes,” he said.
“If it's about influences in art art and comics, it all started from studying old baroque paintings, which are all about light and shadow. The most important comic artists for me are Jose Munos and Alberto Breccia, Argentinian masters of black and white. But I was also strongly influenced by the aesthetic of early silent movies; Russian Avant-garde and German Expressionism ( around 1920.).”
The story Zezelj creates is as dark as the art.
Rex doesn't exactly break new ground, good cop gets framed, abused in prison, then escapes to seek girl and wreck vengeance on those who put him behind bars.
But, it's not the framework of the story that Zezelj makes so darkly delectable. Instead, it's his darkly poetic writing style which sets Rex apart as something special.
There are lots of misty illusions created by the words, and that adds to the story in the sense you feel for Rex, and yet are not quite sure if he has evolved to be as bad as those he pursues.
This is a story you truly can't put down. At times you may wish you could because of the imagery of arts and words, but you won't be able too.
Interestingly, Zezelj dark tale was inspired by a song.
“The story was inspired by Tom Waits song Going Out West (Bone Machine CD), by the lyrics and music as well,” he explained. “The song was the starting point, the whole script grew out from there. It is good old revenge story, one way ticket to the end of the world.”
Asked if current headlines were an influence, Zezelj said not in a direct fashion at least.
“Could be, but it is not specific and it doesn't really matter,” he said. “World news fundamentally don't change, pick papers from 10 years ago, it's all the same, just different names.”
Likewise, Zezelj said hard-edged crime is not his first reading choice, although Rex fits into that genre well.
“I actually don't read much of hard edged crime and especially not horror, although I'm big fan of Walter Mosley and James Ellroy and admire their storytelling skills,” he said.
The story is one Zezelj said came together quite quickly once the seed of an idea came to him.
“It all happened quite quickly once I had the starting point and the end. The rest grew during the working process,” he said, adding “I don't write detailed scripts, just a sketch, the more precise writing happens during the process of drawing and building pages and sequences.”
This is a trade paperback that is only $9.99 US, making it an amazing value for it length, and more importantly its quality. Highly recommended.
For buying Rex check out Optimum Wound at www.optimumwound.com
You can follow the creator at www.dzezelj.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra