Solo # 5: Darwyn Cooke

Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
Publisher: DC
Published: August 2005

The Solo collection published by DC is probably the finest series produced in the last 4 years. For those folks that don't know what the Solo series is all about, let me recap: a single issue comic drawn and written by one artist. The contents of the issue are the sole discretion of the artist. They are literally given free reign to write/draw anything they want (except the competitors, ie. Marvel, Image, etc). Occasionally, help is brought in to write a story, (which, yes, defeats the absolute solo rule, but who's that nit picky?), but in the case of issue 5, Cooke delivers an entire issue by himself.

Darwyn's Solo effort has seven chapters, ranging from an awesome Batman tale, to a little crime drama, to one man's love affair with his vacuum. (Yeah, I know bizarre, but great.) Cooke's artwork is amazing, as usual, his Batman is dark and foreboding, and the opening story is a perfect example of what a Solo concept is all about. Stay tuned, folks, as I'll be writing up quick reviews on all 12 issues of the Solo series during my 365 run.