PEEKING AT THE DESOLATION JONES #1 SCRIPT

[MattBrady]

by Chris Arrant

Recently, writer Warren Ellis made the script for the first issue of Desolation Jones (DC/Wildstorm) available to journalists. Scheduled to be released in April 2005, it features full artwork by J.H. Williams III (Promethea). It promises to be the first long-form comics work by Warren Ellis since the critically acclaimed Transmetropolitan. After the harrowing 60 issues of Transmetropolitan, Ellis swore off extended series of the ilk, instead focusing on shorter work such as Red, Global Frequency and limited stints on various Marvel comics.

A former British Intelligence MI6 agent, lead character Michael Jones is now a changed man due to a series of bizarre medical initiative dubbed "The Desolation Test". In the pitch document revealed by Rich Johnston's "Lying In The Gutters" column for ComicBookResources.com, the test is described as this:

They sealed him in a small room filled with TV screens. TV screens formed the entire surface area of all six walls. There was nothing else. They locked him into a chair that hung in the centre of a spherical arrangement of powered tracks, so that he would slowly, constantly be moved through 360º, viewing all the screens in turn. Intravenous feed and waste processing units were bolted into his body. The screens displayed documentary images of death, of murder, of horror 24 hours a day. For a year.

Body and mind are left forever changed, with unimaginable mental scars paired with a symbolic tattoo scrawled on his arm reading "DESOLATION 01". Discarded by the very program that kept him alive and employed for many years, Jones is still trying to make sense of his harrowing year in "The Desolation Test", and goes to the one place where he can make a difference: Los Angeles.

As you delve into the first issue, you're quickly put on alert by the arresting introduction of Jones through a hallucinogenic dream about his inception to the Test. Startled awake, he lurches into action prompted by an email containing a job offer. One of the reasons Jones relocated to Los Angeles is because it harbors and underground community of ex-spooks like himself, used up and cast off like so much refuse in the constantly changing world. He established himself as a private investigator for this underbelly of L.A. as a means to find himself again, to put his life back together. In a sea of unique individuals, his experiences in the Desolation Test make him unique unto himself and reminder of the atrocities that can be done.

As we're drawn into the life of this damaged man, you're quickly set upon by Jones' world. Warren Ellis' deft ability to create a wholly unique experience in the span of a single issue is amazing. Look to his previous first issues on The Authority, Planetary, Red and Transmetropolitan as an example of how he is able to weave complex characters, motivations, locale and dialogue to completely envelop the reader into the book. As we're introduced to various characters in the first issue, each serves to make the story more organic, more human, even with the jarring subject matter.

Clearly aimed a mature audience, Desolation Jones #1 is an eye-opening expose on a secret culture existing on the fringe of "fringe culture. Influenced by his research, (as seen on his website and the now defunct DiePunyHumans.com), Ellis creates a wholly unique and unimaginable world that's inviting and uncomfortable at the same time. For those looking for a quick soundbite of what to expect, it's "Stanley Kubrick meets Raymond Chandler". Previous fans of Ellis' work on such titles as Transmetropolitanand Strange Kisses will quickly find Desolation Jones in their hands starting this April.

Speaking to Newsarama last June in regards to his newly signed exclusive contract with DC, as well as his upcoming workload, Williams had this to say about Desolation Jones:

”I’m really looking forward to Desolation Jones. One, because it allows me to work on something with Mister Warren Ellis. He’s one of my top favorite writers and I really wanted work with him on a project, so I'm very happy that it has worked out. And two, Desolation Jones is very different than Promethea and that’s why I wanted to do it. It’s going to pull me in some directions that I really wanted to go visually - to try something new, which is always what I like to do. My work on Promethea can attest to that.

”Jones will be nothing like Promethea visually, other than a spot here and there. But at the same time it will allow me to be just as extremely creative and as risk taking as I have always been. So it will be lots of fun for me as an artist to keep pushing those boundaries of what I'm capable of, very challenging. About the story itself...I really don't want to say much more about it than what Warren has on his website other than that it is very urban, dark, human, gritty, and can be pretty funny at times. I think it has the potential to be some of Warren's best work yet and that’s saying a lot.”

[tralfaz]

crazy warren, trix are for kids

[maxcw]

Sounds awesome. Ellis seems to be in top gear at moment. The only awful thing by him recently was Ultimate Fantasic 4.

[John Osen]

Warren, comics are a visual medium.

[Arnout]

This can't come out soon enough.
Big fan of Warren, and when I heard he would be paired with JH W III, well... it's just one fo those things. Like Planetary. I read Warren was over the moon, but not half as much as me.
JH is just one of those artist-artists. Like maybe Immonen. And Middleton (tho' I need more of him to be sure). They leap bound and soar over the scripts.
Promethea was a bit slow&difficult for me at first, but I just couldn't get enough of that art.

Now Gimme!

ps: where's Jack Cross in all of this?
ps2: any idea how long this'll be? I heard 25 or thereabouts, but I could be mistaking it with the count for Planetary.

[Tinnitus Tim]

I am very much looking forward to this.
I like the basic idea and the creators involved makes this a no brainer.

[mavinga]

More of Warren Ellis can't be a bad thing. I hope this books is a strong one for WS. I'm certainly going to take a look.

[Johnny Bacardi]

So why did MI6 perform this "bizarre medical initiative" on him in the first place?

Oh well, it's got J.H. Williams art, that's all I need to know. I was there yesterday.

[Jacob W]

Originally posted by Arnout
This can't come out soon enough.
Big fan of Warren, and when I heard he would be paired with JH W III, well... it's just one fo those things. Like Planetary. I read Warren was over the moon, but not half as much as me.
JH is just one of those artist-artists. Like maybe Immonen. And Middleton (tho' I need more of him to be sure). They leap bound and soar over the scripts.
Promethea was a bit slow&difficult for me at first, but I just couldn't get enough of that art.

Now Gimme!

ps: where's Jack Cross in all of this?
ps2: any idea how long this'll be? I heard 25 or thereabouts, but I could be mistaking it with the count for Planetary.

Jack Cross I'd imagine is taking a bit longer to get under way as Mark Chiarelli (sp?) is editing and I think wants to get a good headstart for the rotating artists. That's supposed to be at 24.

This Ellis said will be 36 I think(for now), although 32 is also coming to mind, but that might be also confusing it w/ Promethea.

Very much looking forward to this.

[Robert_Coyner]

this is such a can't miss. Williams' artwork is beautiful. and a tour of the world of pulp spies by Ellis? that's just grand right there. BTW - did anyone else pick up Simon Spector last week? of all of the Apparat stories by Ellis, I wish he would consider a mini based on that character. that was the best of the bunch, to me...

oh, and thanks for the added info. on Jack Cross and Planetary. anyone know when Stealth Tribes is due out? last anyone talked about it, it was Jan05... obviously that's not happening.

[thepinkfink]

Have to disagree with maxcw about UFF. The Doom arc was slow but reads well as a whole - and the N-Zone story is off to a flier. Kubert's art is spectacular; the splash pages in number 14 were to die for and his Ben Grimm is the best ever IMO (even better than Kirby's). Ellis's dialogue and team interaction makes for my favourite FF for many years and this is rapidly becoming my 1st 'must read' of the month. And I'm REALLY looking forward to Desolation Jones. Ellis and Williams III...oh yes.

[jasinmartin]

It'll be great to get a longer form Ellis for a change. Hadn't heard anything about this previously, but I am now very much looking forward to this.

[Leviathan]

so all of that stuff at diepunyhumans.com was research for desolation jones?

warren ellis is really commited to this.

[COREMARK]

Really looking forward to this book, Ellis always does his best work for Wildstorm/Vertigo. Which shouldn't be surprising as he probably saves his best stuff for his creator owned work.

[supergeek]

Is J.H. inking himself on this one, or is he joined by his partner on Promethea?

[ChrisArrant]

J.H. is doing pencils & inks on this project. Looks to be stellar!

[Elliot Mears]

Originally posted by Johnny Bacardi
So why did MI6 perform this "bizarre medical initiative" on him in the first place?

If I remember rightly, I believe it was because he was a shocking alcoholic incompetent with no other career options open to him.

"Mister Jones, James Bond never wet himself" comes to mind...

[bcondray]

I am so along for this ride.

[qtzar]

Originally posted by maxcw
Sounds awesome. Ellis seems to be in top gear at moment. The only awful thing by him recently was Ultimate Fantasic 4.

his ultimate FF is great.havent you been reading their adventures in the Nzone? oh no you couldent have,it wasent out when you wrote your post.do you always judge something BEFORE you read it? i guess you do.