Hawaiian Dick Volume 1: Byrd Of Paradise [Paperback]

I picked this Trade PaperBack up to read on a plane. I enjoyed it a great deal and really got the feel for a 50's Hawaii. I love noir and having it mixed with Hawaii and voodoo was a great choice. I just felt the story was too short and underdone. The problems I had were: 1. I was just getting into the story and then all of a sudden it finishes. 2. the finish is not equal to the build up. 2a. We have characters built up and then without as much as a whimper they are gone. 3. A few story lines just seem to resolve themselves. 4. A few things were introduced that never really became important and 5. a back story that should have been incorporated into the comic instead of in story form at the end. ( I don't want to mention specifics so as to not ruin it for anybody). BUT I did enjoy it and will get the second one when it comes out. When it finished I wanted to read more stories from this world Moore and Griffin have created. Hopefully it will be a bit more fully formed than this first fun outing. The additional section on the artist and writer going thru character designs was excellent.

I love the whole premise behind HAWAIIAN DICK, the ongoing 1950s private eye comics set in Hawaii. The noir feel of the storytelling and characters is dead-on. The ex-pat main character, Byrd, is well-drawn and has a lot of emotional baggage he's carrying that only gets opened up in this first graphic novel.

HAWAIIAN DICK: BYRD OF PARADISE gathers the first three issues of the comics written by B. Clay Moore and drawn by Steven Griffin. The story immediately seized a lot of attention when it first came out because of the mixture of old and new.

Moore has a great grasp of the story and noir must run in his veins. The set-up for the story and the execution hits all the cornerstones of the venue, and Byrd's backstory comes as a natural progression of the case he's on. Moore's development of the story "reads" like a movie. He stays off the page and out of panels unless narration or dialogue is really needed. Action tells this story as well as anything, and readers often forget how much a good writer can do with a few panels of delineated action. Moore has a fantastic grasp of the concept.

As good as Moore's story is, though, Griffin's art emphasizes everything about. Griffin's use of color - bright and vibrant, then dark and moody - sets the tone for the scenes, the characters, and the atmosphere. Through color alone, Griffin could have brought home every emotion that he needed to in order to convey the story.

However, he doesn't stop there. He gives us well imagined characters and body posture. Byrd just wouldn't have been the cocky, worldly private eye without the five o'clock shadow and Hawaiian shirt. Mo wouldn't have been the homicide cop without the immense stature, the clean-shaven appearance, and the immaculate black suit.

The artwork is loose and tight as needed. Sometimes panels only feature characters in action. Then there are other times that the background is developed in depth. All of it looks painted, with lots of contrast and rounded shapes that flow naturally to the eye. After you read the graphic novel, don't be surprised to find yourself leafing back through the pages just to see the artwork again.

The story is pedestrian by all outward appearances. Byrd gets handed a case to find a car, but he's getting paid more for the recovery than the car is worth. Immediately suspicious, Byrd confronts the man hiring him and finds out the car has a cargo that belongs to drug kingpin, Bishop Masaki. This is the kind of story a noir fan would expect to find laid at the feet of Marlowe, Spade, or Hammer. Moore throws in an extra wrinkle by including Hawaiian voodoo and zombies. The horror aspect never overshadows the private eye story, though. Rather, it complements it and gives the reader a little extra zest that gives the appearance of being something brand new.

I love this story. I've read it a few times now and enjoy it each time. It's simple and structure, and delivers everything I'd want in a noir adventure. Plus the zombie creep factor and a few twists and turns I didn't see coming. The 1950s feel makes a big difference too, like our heroes are just a little more exposed than they would be in the present day and age.

The graphic novel contains about 50 pages of extras, including sketches, notes, and script. HAWAIIAN DICK: BYRD OF PARADISE is a great entertainment and behind-the-scenes bargain. The property has also been licensed for movie development and you can see how a film would flow from these pages. This is a crackerjack read.

Even though this isn't the kind of story I generally read, I found it a joy. This comic entirely exceeded my expectations. The fictional\fantastical elements are totally different from anything that I have read, and are nicely combined with the real world.

The art is beautiful, the story and plot are very well devised, and executed, and the characters dynamic. I highly recommend this, especially if you are interested in Hawaiian legends.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 5 reviews  4.4 out of 5 stars