Descender #1 (Image)

via Jeff Lemire

writer: Jeff Lemire

artist: Dustin Nguyen

Imagine Independence Day crossed with A.I. Artificial Intelligence crossed with Blade Runner.  Great, now you have a general idea of what Descender is all about.

Jeff Lemire needs little introduction at this point, having become a real force in mainstream and indy comics through various works.  His collaborator for this project (Lemire typically does his own art), however, is all but getting a new introduction with Descender, and this is a very good thing.

I previously knew Dustin Nguyen from his Batman: Streets of Gotham work, but he truly began to stand out with Batman: L'il Gotham.  His use of pastel coloring, combined with his deceptively simple style, was the other big draw of the wonderful character work featured in L'il Gotham.  This is exactly the Nguyen that shows up in Descender.

When I say art is becoming crucial again in comics, you must understand that this is a completely different statement than it would have been in the '90s, during the height of the Image revolution.  There was a decided lack of subtlety, and a curious lack of real art, at that time.  Thanks to Fiona Staples, Tula Lotay, J.H. Williams III and others, art is becoming a big draw again today, art that enhances and complements the focus on writing that became the answer to the '90s boom.  Lemire certainly has the credentials and the chops to back up that half.  It's great to see Nguyen get his shot at a true showcase, because I think that may be the best way to sell Descender.

via Jeff Lemire

And he absolutely nails his big opportunity.  He's already been a favorite of mine.  With this project, I think a lot of other people are going to become fans of Dustin Nguyen.