Welcome to Hoxford
Issue: #1
Writer: Ben Templesmith
Artist: Ben Templesmith
32 pp. IDW Publishing. $3.99
Reviewed by Paul Stotts
I've always thought that comic books in which one person is responsible for both the scripting and art duties seem to have a higher probability of rocking the house. Call it the unity of artistic vision, since there is no visual translation of the writer's words by the artist. There is just a natural coherence in one individual envisioning everything as opposed to a team of an artist and writer who must work for a coherent vision. Then there are those writer/artists who just take it to a higher level, and blow your mind. Enter Ben Templesmith.
The first issue in Templesmith's new series "Welcome to Hoxford" is so creepy cool that it's a delicious pleasure to read. Filled with fantastic and stylistic art and a totally gripping story, this was one issue in which the only bad part is that it ends and you have to wait a month for the continuation. (Oh Templesmith, how you tease me!)
Raymond Delgado is a mass murderer with a long list of mental problems that have made him so violent and unstable that he is a threat to everyone in the regular prison system. After killing another cellmate, Ray is shipped to a new government prison facility along with a slew of other highly violent and mentally-twisted inmates. This new government prison, Hoxford, is run for the government by a private Russian conglomerate. The administration of the prison is headed up by the creepy Warden Gordon Baker.
Doctor Jessica Ainley has worked previously with Raymond, and wishes to have access to him at Hoxford. However, Dr. Ainley is put off by Baker who must first consider for a few weeks whether or not he will allow her access. Meanwhile, it doesn't take long before Ray has a violent confrontation with one of the Hoxford inmates, prompting an incident which underlines that Hoxford may not be what it seems.
Templesmith does an amazing job in introducing us to the characters without sacrificing the story. In only a few panels, I was able to get an accurate feel for each of the major characters, and that is really the basis for effective storytelling in comic books. The fact that the rest of the story was as intriguing as it was shot this issue through the stratosphere. The artwork is stylistic and gritty, even oddly bordering on cartoony in certain panels, but it is so perfectly unique that it gives the comic it own vibe.
Be warned though, "Welcome to Hoxford" is an extremely violent and bloody comic that is meant for mature audiences. So if a bloody prison drama about depraved nutjobs doesn't sound appealing (and who wouldn't find that appealing), you may want to run the other way. But for those willing to take the plunge, oh what a ride! Highly recommended.
Final Grade: 90 out of 100
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