by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor

Join Kyle Higgins and Joe Clark as they explore the history of American music in their six-part anthology series: DEEP CUTS! This mini-series is a dramatic change of pace for Higgins, best known for his work on Radiant Black (and the Massive-Verse) from Image Comics, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from Boom! Studios. With a stellar creative team, this adventure will take readers on a journey of musical discovery. 

Creative Team:

Writers: Kyle Higgins & Joe Clark
Pencils & Inks: Danilo Beyruth
Colors: Igor Monti
Letters: Hassan Otsmane Elhaou

Official Synopsis:

New Orleans, 1917. In the city’s bustling red-light district, a young clarinet player lands a job with his hero—but he’ll soon discover there’s more to the music business than playing the right notes. Join writers KYLE HIGGINS & JOE CLARK (RADIANT BLACK) and an ALL-STAR CAST OF ARTISTS for SIX DOUBLE-LENGTH ISSUES that weave stories of struggle, joy, and hope through the history of jazz!

Readers will immediately be mesmerized by the vivid colors and creative designs in Deep Cuts. The vibrant artwork compliments the musical motif and help to flesh out this particular era nicely in a short amount of time. The first installment focuses on a young clarinet player named Charles Stewart, who acts as the audience’s guide through the world of New Orleans in 1917. The world of music is all about timing (literally), so it is always important to take advantage when opportunity knocks. Charles is discovered by a musician named Jack Cartier, who takes him under his wing and shares some interesting opportunities. Charles finds himself in a fish-out-of-water scenario, and ends up getting a gig at a local brothel. In order to avoid being discovered by his family, he takes on the name “Ace” and continues his musical endeavors. 

Although we are more used to Higgins’ work in the world of superheroes, it is interesting to see a fresh, outside-of-the-box use of the comic medium to tell a story revolving around the impact of music in different eras of our history. I think that the anthology element will be interesting, and I look forward to seeing how the different musical eras are explored from both a storytelling and visual aspect. It might not be a topic for everyone, but it is obvious that the creative team enjoyed putting this mini-series together.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives DEEP CUTS #1 (of 6) – 4.5/5 musical explorations.

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