Scars is the latest in the series of Warren Ellis projects for Avatar, the publisher which seems to be his first choice when it comes to extraordinary levels of violence and body horror.  They may be small and they may publish a lot of multiply-covered nonsense (though no adverts for that stuff this time, I see), but they do have some decent artists and they let him get on with is.

According to the accompanying editorial, Scars is a series about a good, respectable police officer facing catastrophe after catastrophe to see how he reacts.  A fairly standard "put decent character through hell" routine, then.  But it's well written nonetheless, as the first issue introduces the eminently likeable Detective Cain and set about making his life worse.

Actually, Cain's life's already looking down when we start, since evidently something unpleasant has happened to his family.  He's a homicide cop, and this issue Ellis assaults him with two thoroughly disgusting murders.  As you might expect, the details are imaginatively repellent.

Artist Jacen Burrows has worked with Ellis on these projects before.  It amazes me that he hasn't had higher profile work - he's an excellent artist.  Good distinctive characters, decent acting, and a style that keeps the story low-key and grounded as the atrocities pile up.  His set designs and pacing are similarly impressive.  For the life of me, I can't understand why I've never seen this guy on something more prominent.

There's nothing particularly new here, and it's much what you might expect from an Ellis Avatar project (save perhaps that there's no magic here).  Nonetheless, if you're in the market for Ellis's more violent excesses, and god knows his excesses are of the superior variety, then this should work for you.

Rating: A-

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