The Last Call Vol. 1
Writer/Artist: Vasilis Lolos
Company: Oni Press
Some books grab you. There is no rhyme or reason to why they do, they just do. Sometimes it’s a slow process, a creeping sensation that slowly leads to what is a crescendo of awesomeness that can not be denied. Or in other cases it can sometimes be like the immediate bang of a shotgun, resulting in a story that simply grabs you by the neck from the very first page, the style and substance of the book blaring like a blazing sun in a sea covered by a thick fog. The latter is what the first volume of Vasilis Lolos’ The Last Call is; it’s a story that takes hold of you from the first word that is uttered on the page and sends you charging headfirst into what can only be described as a delectable and visceral smorgasbord of entertainment.
Okay, so it’s a story that starts off with a bang and never lets up. Got it, but what exactly is the story about? Well, before we get to the meat of that question, let me at least set the proper mood. Imagine if you will the type of story that you might get if you happened to lock Neil Gaiman and Hayao Miyazaki in a room together. The outcome would no doubt be a strange breed of story, the sort of crazy concoction that would encompass only the absolute best qualities from things like the eerie short story Coraline to the wonderfully brilliant Spirited Away. You might think that I’m feeding your expectations to the boiling point, that I’m overstating what Vasilis Lolos has done. I’m not. Really. His craft has always been good (seek out the back issues of Pirates of Coney Island if you don’t believe me) but with this outing he outdoes himself by not only taking up the artistic side of things but also the writing portion of the project as well. The end result is an intelligent and engaging tale about two rebellious and mischievious teenagers trying to amuse themselves with death metal and cigarettes. But as luck would have it, something neither of them expects happens during a little joyride in one of their parent’s car, and the pair end up on the Ghost Train. What’s that, you ask? Well, the Ghost Train is a train that travels between different dimensions, carting all manner of ghouls and ghosts and monsters to all sorts of destinations. How did they get there? How do they escape? Well, that’s the adventure of it all, isn’t? And if you still aren’t convinced that that isn’t enough, add a splash of Murder on the Orient Express and a high dose of comedy to it, and really, you’ve got the perfect recipe for a book that can appeal to just about anyone.
The world that is created on the Ghost Train is a wonderful sight to see, its numerous hallways and massive rooms filled with wondrous sights and great characters. In a way it feels even more enchanting and captivating because we are seeing the ghouls and goblins and monsters, all of these other worldly entities and sights, through the terrified and panicked eyes of the two protagonists Sam and Alec. These two characters, cocky and sarcastic as they are, are entirely believable and could almost be those darn kids that live next door to you who curse and play their music entirely too loud in the middle of the night. That bit of realism, not to mention their mannerisms and the expressive emotions that play across their faces, really amps up the amount of fun to be had. And then you’ve got the ghosts, which are always fun. Lolos goes the extra mile and deals out some nice ones here for the two boys to face off with as they try to find their way through and off of the train. The Conductor, a sort of Frankenstein meets Rich Uncle Pennybags from the game Monopoly, is one of the best. He lumbers about asking for tickets, and if you don’t happen to have one, like Sam and Alec, he gets a little testy with you. But even though he’s my favorite, there truly are a plethora of others that are all richly developed and unique.
But let’s not forget about the art that you can find here either. Lolos’ art is delicious to look at. There’s a Manga influence to it that is juiced by a distinct European style. The result is one that immediately draws the eye. The cream of the crop though, and what keeps your eyes glued to the page is the kinetic feel that the lines carry. The style that Lolos has created is so original and so visually amazing that the characters, no matter what is happening on the page, be it a silent chase scene down a cramped train corridor or two people having an awkward sit down dinner in the middle of a crowded dining car, he tells the story with such tenacity, so perfectly, and with such an ease that it is a simply stunning thing to see.
All told, the first volume of The Last Call rocks in every sense of the word. It’s an off-beat gem, one that surprises, makes you laugh and really just gets under your skin in every good way possible. Honestly, I can’t wait for the second volume to see what happens next. It’s that good.
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“Sometimes it’s a slow process, a creeping sensation that slowly leads to what is a crescendo of awesomeness that can not be denied. Or in other cases it can sometimes be like the immediate bang of a shotgun, resulting in a story that simply grabs you by the neck from the very first page, the style and substance of the book blaring like a blazing sun in a sea covered by a thick fog.”
That’s some good writing, Nick. I might have to steal “crescendo of awesomeness”.
The best elements of Spirited Away and Coraline? Ghost trains? I have to buy this book, like, today.
Did you enjoy it? I couldn’t tell…the review wasn’t clear on that.
09 Aug 2007 at 6:21 pm
QuoteWhoops, double post.
Is this book out yet, by the way? Amazon says it’s due on Sept. 12 and the review didn’t mention it’s an advance review. (I know, I know, support your LCS…I just went to amazon to check the cover price, seriously).
09 Aug 2007 at 6:22 pm
QuoteYup, it came out this week! And yes, you must buy this book!
09 Aug 2007 at 7:02 pm
QuoteIt’s out today, for sure. We got it in at Rogues Gallery and I haven’t been able to buy my copy yet, as I want to make sure it’s there if a customer wants it.
09 Aug 2007 at 7:03 pm
QuoteR
Randy, are you sure it has nothing to do with the hospital bill (your blog)? Gotcha!!
09 Aug 2007 at 8:22 pm
QuotePretty sure. I bought the Invincible Vol 3 HC and Goosebumps Vol 2 this week, so I’m not exactly living in poverty.
09 Aug 2007 at 9:12 pm
QuoteI got this from vasilis himself in comic con, read it the same night and loved it, glad to see a great talent getting some props from the review sites around, hope everyone picks this one up!
09 Aug 2007 at 10:13 pm
QuoteYeah, I have to agree with verything said thus far. This is an amazing book loaded with potential.
09 Aug 2007 at 10:45 pm
QuoteI realize that nobody asked me, but I personally do not go for the demon and monsters themes in the books. The last one I tried was the Damned and that didn’t really do anything for me.
Maybe the two teens will run into a demon with a hundred vaginas and they will lose their virginity. Then the story will end with a bang rather than start with one. Talk about a “creeping sensation that slowly leads to what is a crescendo of awesomeness that can not be denied”.
Oh, ok, one more, the boys could “simply grab you by the neck”, before the immediate shotgun blast.
still not satisfied, the boys could “get to the meat of the question”.
Wait! don’t forget to “set the proper mood”!!!
What would happen if you you happened to “locked Neil Gaiman and Hayao Miyazaki in a room together”? what kind of “breed”?
I think I’ll leave on a high note.
Wait, before I leave…
“cannot” is the correct spelling. Not “can not”.
P.S.
I hope the next volume revolves around the idea that the two teens think they got off the Ghost Train, but then they realize they are stuck in an episode of Soul Train from the early 1980s.
10 Aug 2007 at 12:05 am
QuoteI can’t decide, are you mocking Nick’s writing, The Last Call (a book you haven’t read), trying to push The Boys, or just trying to be funny?
Because if it’s the first, you should probably know that this sentence (What would happen if you you happened to “locked Neil Gaiman and Hayao Miyazaki in a room together”? what kind of “breed”?) doesn’t really make any sense, especially with the “you you” typo. If you’re gonna criticize, you need to not make any simple typos yourself, or you just look kind of like a jackass.
If it’s the second, fair enough to say you don’t care about monsters or demons, but I’m not sure how relevant that is to a story about ghost trains and teens.
If it’s the third, you should capitalize the title of the book so folks know what you’re talking about, and you’re kinda barking up the wrong tree with the reviewers on this site.
And if it’s the fourth, you really need more originality than to base your chosen screen name on an old Internet meme that was already put into repeats on Keith Olbermann’s Countdown, and is thus “so 10 minutes ago.”
10 Aug 2007 at 1:14 am
QuoteI also saw this in the store yesterday, it grabbed my attention, but as I’ve been burned by Oni many times with hollow promises I kinda put the book back on the shelf. I picked it up again when I saw the name Vasilis Lolos, whom if I’m not mistaken is Greek (as in fully raised in Greece) and used to go to my old comic book store. Alas, I still didn’t pick it up because I wanted to find out more about it online first, mainly whether it was any good :). Glad to see a positive review of the book, I’ll definitely pick it up again. Maybe Oni can redeem itself in my eyes.
10 Aug 2007 at 1:56 am
QuoteExcluding some regrettable scheduling snafus, I am really curious as to how anybody has been burned by Oni many times with hollow promises.
We do our best to make quality comics. Not everything we publish is for everybody, but we have always tried to maintain a level of quality so that even if you didn’t like a particular book, you would still be able to recognize it as a well made book.
But… if we have been making hollow promises and people are getting burned, let me offer my sincere apologies.
Randal C. Jarrell
http://www.onipress.com
10 Aug 2007 at 11:00 am
QuoteI generaly have a big crush on Oni and on a lot of what it puts out.
Speaking of which, I was just asking around my LCS this week about the status of Wonton Soup — I was so jazzed when I saw it solicited in January. Looks great. Now it seems like it’s completely disappear. Is it just not done? Has it been dropped by Oni? Too low of orders? I’m totally excited for this book — from the previews it occupies the same space in my head that Brandon Graham’s Multiple Warheads and King City does.
Thanks for any info!
BTW - Just finished Last Call this morning. It felt short but it was enjoyable — I’m definitely going to pick up the next volume. Good stuff!
10 Aug 2007 at 11:33 am
QuoteWell, you promised to make an honest woman out of me, but then left me at the altar for that whore.
No, wait, that wasn’t Oni.
Oni promised me a pony for my 16th birthday and all I got was a lousy birdbath.
Wait, that wasn’t you guys either.
10 Aug 2007 at 1:05 pm
QuoteNo, I liked the post. I was just relating those quotes to a sexual theme.
The mispelling of “cannot” is one of the most common of all errors as well as the misuse of “its” and “it’s”
10 Aug 2007 at 5:17 pm
QuoteAh, my bad. My apologies as well, my snark detector was clearly on the fritz.
10 Aug 2007 at 7:28 pm
Quote14 Aug 2007 at 9:07 pm
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