ELLIS' DOWN RETURNS @ TOP COW

**MattBrady** · 07-19-2005, 07:44 AM

The last time Down was a going concern was sometime in 2001, when the Warren Ellis/Tony Harris project was due to be released in October from Top Cow’s Minotaur Press, the studio’s creator-owned line.

Some of Harris’ art was released for the project, but ultimately, both the project and the imprint faded away…

Only to come back four years later. Shepherded by Top Cow’s Editor in Chief Jim McLauchlin, Down will finally see the light of day beginning in November, when issue #1 of the four issue mini ships, with a slight change.

Explaining that essentially, he came upon the project and started asking around why it was never finished, McLauchlin said that Harris originally completed 13-14 pages of the first issue in 2001 before the plug was pulled. “Tony moved on to other stuff,” McLauchlin said. “Now that it's back…he's back. Tony is finishing #1 right now, and doing all four covers. Cully Hamner will be coming in to pencil and ink #2-#4, and let me tell you, Cully is a machine. Numbers #1 and #2 are done, and he's already well into #3, so it’s a November launch for #1. Barring hurricane or flying monkey attack, I think we're golden.”

So what is the miniseries about? Well, let us dust off the internet, and check out Ellis’ original description that he posted on the Warren Ellis Forum back in the day:

"Five years ago, a narcotics cop was sent undercover, down into the criminal structure of the city. He never came back. He went native. Five years later, he’s running the city’s prime drugs gang.

“Today, a second cop – a woman in the midst of career flameout, having shot down the entirety of the main mob’s only rival gang - is sent undercover, with orders to pull the first one out. In a bodybag if necessary. But, the deeper into the criminal city she dives, the more horrific each new event that signposts her way down is... the more she wants to stay where she is. So, when she finally reaches down far enough to confront the cop who went native, the question is this; does she pull the guy out? Does she kill him where he stands?

“Or does she take his place?"

Wrote Ellis, "The approach is to adapt the Authority style for crime fiction; berserkly operatic, massively decompressed storytelling. The filmic equivalents would be Heat and Hard Boiled."

“There is much shooting of pistols,” added McLaughlin. “And cars driving really fast.”

Also back in the day, Newsarama (then at Fandom.com) spoke with Ellis about his then emergent wave of creator-owned work at Image and other publishers, and part of it goes to the core of what has become of one of comics flashpoints for controversy in recent years.

Newsarama: Warren, you described Down as "berserkly operatic, massively decompressed storytelling". I think you had a hand in popularizing the phrase "widescreen" (if not coined it, in so far as the comics industry that is), I suspect "operatic" might be the next buzzword... Can you perhaps explain a little more what that means, particularly the "decompressed storytelling" part?

Warren Ellis: Either I coined ‘widescreen’ or Grant [Morrison] did. Probably Grant. But I had [Bryan] Hitch, and Hitch showed people what ‘widescreen’ was supposed to look like.

Decompressed storytelling’ is my innovation and buzzterm, insofar as I ripped it right out of Japanese comics and didn’t actually invent anything at all. I think it`s generally credited to Osamu Tezuka. It’s the way you break down the narrative. In an American comic, the motion of someone leaving a house would probably be broken down into two panels - she goes to the door, she’s outside. In the decompressed form, we examine the motion slowly, picking up and displaying every valuable nuance of the movement - her wary turn from us, the crusted blood under her fingernails as she turns the handle, the spread of buildings surrounding her house as she emerges into the light. You get the idea. Each Authority story Hitch and I did could have been told in 22 pages.

"What I wanted to do was apply massive decompression to the standard superhero story, to examine the fight scenes from different angles, from hard-in detailed shots to the great wide vista of it all. To let what would be a shot of the moon and a wistful comment from someone flying past, in a regular comic, become a three page joyful digression in The Authority. Just open it all the hell up and see what happens.

"Down, similarly, is decompressed storytelling, which is why it needs six issues. Decompression returns impact and novelty to something as prosaic, in comics, as a gunfight. In Down, we can see the bullets spinning in air, whipping soot particles and smoke in a swirling orbit around it before it impacts, makes the entry wound...the back of the head bursts out and blood squirts from it, splattering a lightbulb before the bullet even emerges, and then the bullet smashes the lightbulb...
As far as ‘operatic’ goes... loud, overblown, supercharged emotions, screaming and death, goes on much too long. That’s ‘operatic’. Down is Operatic.

As noted though – there have been some changes, as the original six issue miniseries will run for four issues.

DiscoVietnam · 07-19-2005, 07:56 AM

Hmmm. I am now officially a sucker for anything by Warren Ellis. While I am slightly unsure about the concept, I'll check out the first issue and see what happens from there. Ah, hell. Who am I kidding? I'll buy it all.

Drewsander · 07-19-2005, 07:59 AM

Not the biggest Ellis fan but actually looking forward to this, mainly because of the look of the character. A kick-ass female central protagonist that isn't the usual T&A clone. If the story lives up to the art Ellis could find his way into my good-books!

Solamon · 07-19-2005, 07:59 AM

It seems like every week a new Warren Ellis project is being announced! Where does he find the time?!

DiscoVietnam · 07-19-2005, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Solamon
It seems like every week a new Warren Ellis project is being announced! Where does he find the time?!

About 4 years ago in this case!

rickshaw1 · 07-19-2005, 10:11 AM

So Ellis is the one that gave us 22 pages of navel gazing and barely a fart to show action?

Great, where's mah voodoo doll.

Seriously. It could have been a nice little experiment, but now every damn story going has that same crap. "Uhhhh, lets show how gnat whiz in a hurricane goes around for the entire book, really delve into the depths of the mixture of pee and rain..."

Any wonder the devotee's of this "Decompressed" storytelling made me drop marvel like a stinky turd?

Tell me a story. Move it along. Comics are pulp fiction with art. Meant to be fun and hook the imagination. No wonder there are very few ten year olds coming into the hobby. What ten year old wants to see Daredevil's reporter pal talking to an autistic child for nineteen years? Action! Action is what we want. Way to much "Oh, we are gonna legitimize comics..." thinking. They are legitimate. They hold the highest grossing movies rankings how many times outta the top twenty? Get over yourselves and tell the damn story.

Bleech.

Call me later, I'll tell ya what i really think.

(and before some nitwit thinks I am raggin on Autistic kids, I'm not. I am raggin on writing that has three balloons worth of dialog spread out over 22 pages. Three minute reads where the artist is doing all the work. You get paid to write. Write, dammit.)

Miller · 07-19-2005, 10:31 AM

Well, I can't wait. I was looking forward to this when Ellis announced it the first time around. Harris and Hamner are gold, baby, gold!

Hey, McLaughlin! While you're dredging up semi-forgotten Ellis projects, why not ask him about BLACK HORSES, FASTER, and MORNING DRAGONS! The last one especially! You need to pay him to finish writing this OGN. Do it for the children!

Okay, do it for me. I'll buy it. I'd order it right now, if it was available.

-Miller

render man · 07-19-2005, 11:19 AM

Describing it as "massive decompression" turns me off immediately. Although its been reduced to 4 issues that probably helps some, but decompression in modern american comics just doesnt work with me. You dont really notice it much in japanese comics, but in american comics it doesnt work for me.
I think I will pass on this one.

Johnny Triangles · 07-19-2005, 11:31 AM

one of the problems with applying decompression in American comics is that japanese installments come out weekly and the comics are DIRT CHEAP. You can decompress to your heart's content in my manga because a whole volume costs $7.99-$9.99 and is packed with over a hundred pages. If I buy it in installments, it comes in a giant dirt-cheap weekly comics compilation phonebook like Shonen Jump that gives me tons of reading so the decompression doesn't bug me and I can appreciate it.

Decompression doesn't work in American comics because thanks to high-grade paper stock, expensive color separations and computer effects the comics are pretty expensive, so putting up with an extremely decompressed story ends up costing you a pretty chunk of change. Another reason why decompression doesn't work is the dawn of the "superstar deadline," where if you are Bryan Hitch or Warren Ellis or someone "hot," you are allowed to release a monthly book whenever you are able to get it done. Nothing worse than a monthly book you wait 3 months for, only to find its decompressed and you have no idea if you'll have to wait another three months for the next issue. Ultimate Spidey is decompressed but at least it comes out more than 12 times a year.

Gordon McAlpin · 07-19-2005, 11:41 AM

MAN, I hate it when they switch artists in a mini-series.

But MAN I love both Tony Harris and Cully Hamner's art.

I guess I'll live.

Gordon McAlpin · 07-19-2005, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Johnny Triangles
one of the problems with applying decompression in American comics is that japanese installments come out weekly and the comics are DIRT CHEAP. You can decompress to your heart's content in my manga because a whole volume costs $7.99-$9.99 and is packed with over a hundred pages. If I buy it in installments, it comes in a giant dirt-cheap weekly comics compilation phonebook like Shonen Jump that gives me tons of reading so the decompression doesn't bug me and I can appreciate it.

Decompression doesn't work in American comics because thanks to high-grade paper stock, expensive color separations and computer effects the comics are pretty expensive, so putting up with an extremely decompressed story ends up costing you a pretty chunk of change.

You know, after too many "you're a writer: write" arguments that completely ignore the fact that comics are a visual, NOT verbal, medium, that's the first intelligent criticism of decompression in American comics that I've ever read.

I for one like the slower, "widescreen" pacing coupled with full color and all that -- when it's done VERY well (i.e. The Authority #1-12), but yeah, they do get kind of expensive very quickly.

We SHOULD have "compressed" stories out there for kids books (JLU, for instance), and I guess peoople who just prefer those 30 minute "reads" to three-hour BOOKS. I just don't think it should be one way or another, like so many people seem to. Maybe DC and Marvel should try to maintain a better balance of both styles?

g

Thomas Rhymer · 07-19-2005, 12:18 PM

A pity Tony Harris doesn't do the art for all four issues.

G Dog · 07-19-2005, 12:35 PM

I have been waiting for this for SO long for this! WAY back when Ellis announced a bunch of new creator-owned ____ (much of which has not appeared), this was the one I was looking forward to most! Ellis and Harris, yeah! And while I'm a bit disappointed that Harris isn't handling the art on all four issues, I'm glad he's at least finishing the art on the first issue. PLUS, Cully Hamner, man? Damn right! If they've got to get a replacement, he's a great one! I am THERE!

G Dog · 07-19-2005, 12:40 PM

Also, let us remember that, as Ellis said, The Authority was what he considered decompressed storytelling. Most people, I don't think, would consider that to be any comparison to the current trend of having NOTHING happen over the course of six or seven issues. His decompressed storytelling was still exciting and cool.

Robert_Coyner · 07-19-2005, 01:13 PM

I'm not a fan of different artists on a mini either, but in this case, going from Harris to Hamner? You have two of the best artists in the biz, so what's to complain about. Plus, after five years, I think many would agree it's just nice to see the book finally coming out.

Gordon McAlpin · 07-19-2005, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by G Dog
Most people, I don't think, would consider that to be any comparison to the current trend of having NOTHING happen over the course of six or seven issues.

Yeah, but that's just bad writing -- it's nothing to do with the story being decompressed or not. Compress six or seven issues of nothing into one issue, and you've still got nothing!

Sometimes, though, people seem to think that if an issue doesn't have a fight in it, "nothing" happened. That's not always the case. (I'm away from my comics collection now, so I can't provide examples, sorry.)

Johnny Triangles · 07-19-2005, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gordon McAlpin
Yeah, but that's just bad writing -- it's nothing to do with the story being decompressed or not. Compress six or seven issues of nothing into one issue, and you've still got nothing!

Sometimes, though, people seem to think that if an issue doesn't have a fight in it, "nothing" happened. That's not always the case. (I'm away from my comics collection now, so I can't provide examples, sorry.)

Or the converse (or is that inverse?) view that if there's a fight, something happened. I had that problem with Busiek's Avengers, where although a big slobberknocker fight happened almost every issue, the subplots and character arcs meandered and nothing substantial happened.

bob_at_york · 07-19-2005, 03:03 PM

Sounds cool. I will check out the first issue.

Cully Hamner · 07-19-2005, 03:06 PM

Let me just interject that if you feel that this may be a book where nothing happens for issues on end, you've got another think coming.

This is flat-out, high-speed "action porn" at its finest. If you liked what we did on Red , you won't be disappointed.

samnoir · 07-19-2005, 03:07 PM

I love both Harris and Hamner, but I'm really hoping their arts styles mesh once this thing is in a collected format. Since Harris was only half done the first issue, I really wonder why they just didn't let Hamner redraw those pages so that we have one consistant art style throughout the series.

It will be interesting to see Harris' art style transition between the Obergeist and Ex Machina however.

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Jack Assen · 07-20-2005, 02:07 AM

I have no concerns about this at all. "Decompression," like everything else, has it's place... it is a storytelling technique that hopefully plays to the strengths of the writer and artist(s). With a good writer and a good artist (or two), it all works out.

Ellis always seems to provide a fun ride, he knows how far to push an idea, and he is excellent at choosing the artists he works with, so... I think it will be just fine. Very Fine, even.

"Action Porn."

I'm so there.

rickshaw1 · 07-21-2005, 10:57 PM

Gordon said:

"You know, after too many "you're a writer: write" arguments that completely ignore the fact that comics are a visual, NOT verbal, medium, that's the first intelligent criticism of decompression in American comics that I've ever read.

I for one like the slower, "widescreen" pacing coupled with full color and all that -- when it's done VERY well (i.e. The Authority #1-12), but yeah, they do get kind of expensive very quickly.

We SHOULD have "compressed" stories out there for kids books (JLU, for instance), and I guess peoople who just prefer those 30 minute "reads" to three-hour BOOKS. I just don't think it should be one way or another, like so many people seem to. Maybe DC and Marvel should try to maintain a better balance of both styles?"

Actually, no, i don't ignore the fact that comics are a visual medium. I am very well aware of it. Comics are perhaps the single greatest medium that is a melding of story and visual, simply because with real imagination, there are no limits as to what can be shown.

However... decompression for the sake of it gets very boring very quickly. I don't say that there has to be a fight every three pages for there to be action taking place. The older pulp style usually had something going for it that DIDN'T amount to nothing but fights. Adventure, suspense, plot advancement.

The single greatest example of good comics decompression to my mind doesn't meet the "slows time down to almost nothing" criteria. It was during the return of the original X-Men in X-Factor. Warren is frozen in one spot for hours, with the passage of the sun and the changing time of a clock to show us that something weighed heavily on his mind. It lasted one page, if i remember correctly.

Now in comics you get guys that havent really written long enough to develop a sense of timing, a rhythm (sp?) to the beats of the story. Much less having the great imagination to come up with something new. Then, they see this decompression stuff, think they can do it, and suddenly, a book that used to take around fifteen to twenty minutes to read, absorb and enjoy, takes about five, if you are lucky. The fact that i am a fast reader certainly doesn't help matters.

And yes, i do take time to enjoy the art, and get more of the story through it. But i don't care how great the art is, after a certain amount of time, i want story to go with it.

Now, maybe Ellis is great at this stuff. Maybe it flips yer pancake and gets ya sprung, but to me, in a regular book where i want things to happen, it is the kiss of death.

I stuck with the new daredevil book for months while not enjoying it. The break literally came with the Autistic kid storyline. The story was played out forever and a day, the art, which should have grabbed me seemed designed to make me wanna leave, and together...nothing. It killed my interest.

I am not saying that everyone should share my views. I may be the only one, but i see too many books out there where things happen and i don't have to wait a year for 1 1/2 stories to be told.

I ain't gettin' any younger.

G Dog · 07-22-2005, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rickshaw1
Now, maybe Ellis is great at this stuff. Maybe it flips yer pancake and gets ya sprung, but to me, in a regular book where i want things to happen, it is the kiss of death.

In fairness to Ellis, have you read his Authority work? Because when he originally talked about The Authority, THAT was his version of decompression. I don't think ANYONE would argue that The Authority is MILES away from what passes for "decompression" these days. The Authority was an exciting read, some of the absolute BEST superhero comics of the past few years.

Redmond · 07-22-2005, 05:03 PM

Wow, I like Tony Harris, but those covers are pretty bad. I have a hard time believeing he came-up with those... The side margin is horrible...

rickshaw1 · 07-23-2005, 01:37 PM

I am being fair to him. Not once did i say his writing was bad, terrible, off the mark, etc...

I was talking about the derivative junk that has flowed since then. I even said he may be the best out there at it, and i wasn't kidding.

It's like the music group Blondie. I love em. Debbie Harry gets me sprung just thinkin' about her. But at the same time, they were really the first to foist rap on us. And because of that, no matter how much i enjoy the rest of their music, i still have a small smidgen of "ugggh" in my soul at the thought that they helped mainstream junk.

It's like Canada. Nice country, nice people...but damn it, did they have to let Jim Carrey out?