Issue one of Walk In was the best debut issue of 2006. Inspired by musician Dave Stewart's real-life adventurs as a memory man and suffering from memory loss, main character Ian spends most of his nights sleeping on park benches across Europe, always waking up after days or weeks suddenly unwanted in wherever he had been.
He's also bombard with strange mental visions, which overwrite whats happening in reality. He ends up in Russia, and visits one of its gentlemen clubs. Its upscale, and seems to be frequented by members of the Russian mob. Leading up to the girls, the club features a magician who, with a little slight of hand, accidental pulls out a mobsters gun. After he's escorted away, the beautiful attraction Astrid takes stage. And she IS beautiful Artist Ashish Padlekar and colourist Sheetal Tanaji Patil are the reason I picked this book up in the first place, it just looks wonderful. But something's not right.
Ian is confronted by a bouncer - strip clubs tend to pay attention to people not paying for things - and makes up a quick lie about being a dream reading act, calling himself the Dreamcatcher. Since the clubs magician will not be coming back, the club accepts his act and he heads on stage to fill seven minutes between girls.
He imply makes broad, simple statements, and people in the club believe he's talking about them. Mentioning the ocean leads a woman to think about how its time for her man to take her on another cruise. A young mother makes a man who's mom had died that year cry. He's a hit, and is invited to stick around for the rest of the night. When the club closes he meets Valarie, the stripper who followed his readings. The crying man had given her a huge tip and she wanted Ian to always go on before her. She's roommates with Astrid, and Ian's invited to stay with them. He's sharing the living room floor with the members of a German band. Despite them playing the same three cords over and over, he drifts off, and dreams of Astrid. Then he wakes ups.
In her bed. She was NOT happy, and attacks him. He calms down the crying Astrid and spends the next hour explaining his past and his black-outs.That seems to smooth things over, and his career as the Dreamcatcher continues to go well and improves every night. Ian's still just throwing out vague guesses, and people are still biting, but there's a heckler every now and then. On one particular night there's one who demands to know what HE'S thinking, and when Ian concentrates he gets an actual image from the man's mind, and the reveal sends him running from the club.
When he, Valarie, and Astrid get back home, the girls get to sleep while Ian struggles with the band once again plays the same notes over and over and over. He's finally drifting away to the repetition when the music blares, waking the house. Valarie is furious at the Germans, but Astrid comes over to Ian, who's staring out the window.
One person involved I didn't mention was the amazing Jeff Parker, the series writer. This was my first comic by Parker, who quickly became just about the best writer in comics today. Walk In ran for six issues, and was supposed to continue with a second volume. They haven't been published yet, and Virgin Comics has since become Liquid Comics. All six issues should be available for less then the $2.99 cover price, and if you like offbeat comics then this is certainly something you should look into.
I really liked this comic but it did rush to a conclusion.
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