Dave Flora is a powerhouse of talent.
There's no other way around it. He not only created the brilliant Pulp revenant (vengeful spirit), Ghost Zero, which is brilliant and evocative as anything not created in the 1930s, but now Dave has a second Pulp in another sub-genre, the 1950s science fiction adventurer DOC MONSTER. The fact is, most men are lucky to strike on one great iconic character...
I'll tell you, what Dave does most profoundly is maintain mystery with his characters. He doesn't spell it all out for you. He doesn't even try. He gives you some basic visual information and invites you to be compelled by these characters. He grasps the mystery is part of the allure, it's what made Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow so incredibly appealing; Dave know that to reveal too much is to dilute the allure. It's an important point: you don't have to know everything about these characters, but just enough to want to know more.
Dave Flora doesn't mess around. Doc Monster, in this introductory story, comes off as both egotistical and bizarrely savage. I love Doc's understated physical power, coupled with a brutish fearlessness and a feral tenacity in contrast to the smooth, stylish suit and horn-rim glasses. This is how Dave Flora gets to the heart of his characters, by contrasting opposing elements and making it seem natural and unforced.
Best of all, Doc Monster's first appearance isn't a heroic accomplishment, nor a neat little trailer for things-to-come. No, Dave Flora has an end for you you're not expecting. Within eight pages, Doc is not only awesome, but he's awesomely obliterated. Chew on that while chasing the above link to vote for Dave's creation.
By the by, for those not in the know, Zuda Comics is an online contest connected to publisher DC Comics, in which talented hopefuls produce short comics which are displayed on the website, with readers voting for the ones they like the best. This gives these talents the chance to get their work published by DC's imprints (I gather). Obviously, even the losers are getting more exposure than they're likely to ever have shuttling their work from booth to booth during comic book cons or posting pages on their blogs.
(Zuda icon reimagining by the great Francesco Francavilla http://francesco-francavilla.blogspot.com/So bookmark Zuda and remember: your vote could put a cool comic on the market that otherwise might never find its way there. Viva Doc Monster! And don't forget to hit the link for Doc Monster hisownself,
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