Dial H #10 Review

Sometimes I don't know what I'd do if DC didn't publish Dial H. This series is about as quirky as superhero books get, and it pretty much single handedly fills a void in the New 52 lineup as far as fun, "off the beaten path" titles go. China Mieville is still very slowly shedding light on what exactly the Dial is and how it works with this current storyline. And while there are many questions that need answering after issue #10, there is one significant reveal that alters the status quo and pushes Nelson's and Roxie's relationship to a new stage.

This issue is a little more low-key when it comes to offering up wacky superhero roles for the heroes to assume. Nelson's stealthy turn as The Glimpse has faltered thanks to the combined might of Centipede and Bristol Bloodhound. Even so, Bristol isn't all that he seems, and Nelson soon finds a potential ally in this confused, misguided soldier. The worst that can be said about this script is that it's a bit disjointed. It hits a climax rather early on before moving on to the next stage of the story. It feels like the showdown between The Glimpse, Bristol, and Centipede would have worked better at the end of an issue. Regardless, Mieville delivers some great character work in this issue, particularly with some heartfelt moments between Nelson and Roxie.

At times Alberto Ponticelli's style is too harsh and gritty to suit the tone of the story, even acknowledging that this was once intended to be a Vertigo series. His human figures can be too heavily marked by creases and shadows, especially in light of the precise, clean cover art from Brian Bolland. But the general storytelling works well, and Ponticelli never fails to render the bizarre imagery Mieville cooks up each month.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

Source : ign[dot]com