For someone who was one of the hottest writers in comics throughout the 2000s, it’s interesting to see where Brian Michael Bendis is nowadays. From arguably single-handedly saving Marvel Comics with an incredible line-up of runs – many of which influenced the Marvel Cinematic Universe – to his time at DC, Bendis seems to be at a point where he doesn’t need the Big Two and would rather retain his independence with his Jinxworld imprint. As his imprint has found a new home in Dark Horse, this brings us nicely onto Masterpiece.
Reunited with Daredevil and Scarlet artist Alex Maleev, Bendis’ latest venture centers on Emma Lawford, a brilliant and driven sixteen-year-old who has paid for school with her next level inventions and is well-known for her funny and honest webcomics. Then, one day, one of the most famous billionaires on the planet, Zero Preston, confronts her with the truth about the parents she never knew as they were two of the greatest, most charismatic master criminals of all time. Looking for payback against her parents who robbed him, Zero threatens Emma into pulling a grand, impossible job against his corporate enemy.
Outside the superhero spectacle, Bendis’ Jinxworld titles are often seedy crime narratives about women rebelling against the system, as seen in Scarlet and Pearl. In the case of Masterpiece, it is about the titular protagonist stepping into the criminal world that her parents were a part of. The problem, however, is that we never know who Emma is before she is plunged into this world, as the first issue introduces her in her first day at a new school, only to get picked up by Zero’s goons.
Dark Horse Comics
While the book feels constrained the six-issue structure, Bendis is throwing a lot of ideas and doesn’t know what to do them, whether it’s the sparing use of Emma’s webcomics or the films that dramatize Emma’s criminal parents to glamorous effect. Bendis is trying to subvert the conventions when it comes to heist narratives, and yet the fun of the heist is seeing the process, from the planning, to the assembling, and finally the executing.
Although the first issue sets up the initial premise, Bendis breaks it quickly, resulting in uncertainty of what the endgame actually is. Sure, there is a lot of wordplay as one would expect from Bendis (though he could dial back on the swearing), but you never get the personal connections that some of these characters have with each other, largely because we just see them as members of a team rather than as individual people.
If there is one thing to take away from this book on a positive note, it’s that Alex Maleev is one of the most exciting artists working today. While there isn’t a great deal of action, Maleev’s character designs are striking, from the normalcy of Emma herself to the intimidating presence of The Paragon, who serves as the muscle of the team. Maleev has always been great at illustrating environments that fit well into gritty crime narratives, but along with Ian Herring’s coloring, which serves as a nice contrast to the pitch-black inking, there are sequences here that experiment with paneling as well as conveying some of Bendis’ subversive ideas.
Unfortunately, the name Masterpiece is a bit of a misnomer, as this book is a missed opportunity that throws a lot of ideas but lacks in execution.
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