In the Spotlight: Casanova: Acedia #1

January 28, 2015 saw the release of Matt Fraction, Fabio Moon, and Gabriel Ba's Casanova: Acedia #1, with new member of the team Michael Chabon who will be writing the back-ups in each issue, the long awaited and highly anticipated return to the psychedelic world of Casanova Quinn. I was thrilled for this book because I've heard so many good things about Casanova, but until these last few days, I had never actually read any of the previous three volumes, which is dumb because I own them. So, I decided to pick them up and read it all before the start of the fourth volume, and let me tell you something; what a trip.

Casanova: Acedia #1 Cover by Fabio Moon

Having read through all of the series, in what is basically a single sitting, I came out the other end not really knowing how to put together everything that had just happened in front of me. Each issue of Casanova is just so dense and there is so much that happens in a single issue, and it's a lot to unpack. At times I felt like maybe I'm not smart enough to be reading this series, but by the end of it all, I was able to put things together and make sense of the big picture Fraction, Moon, and Ba's amazing story. I was more than ready for the start of something new with this world that I have very quickly come to know and love.

Now that Acedia #1 is out, I'm more than happy to find out that Team Casanova have not missed a single step here. The start of the fourth volume picks up two years after the end of the previous volume, and Casanova Quinn has lost his memory. Sounds like a simple enough premise to explain, but there is so much going on, it's just crazy how much is jam packed into this first issue. Acedia #1 is also one of the prettiest comic books you could pick up this week. Fabio Moon's art is great, at this point all who have read any of Moon's work know that, but Cris Peter's colors just make this book an absolute wonder to look at.

Fraction seems to be at the top of his game, nowadays, with hit after hit  on the stands like Sex Criminals, ODY-C, Satellite Sam, and Hawkeye, it's really no surprise that this book is so good. His writing is smart, the story is well paced, and it's so much fun. I feel like the underlining factor in every book Matt Fraction writes is the "FUN" aspect, and, at least for where I am in my life, that aspect is very important to me while reading comics. 

The addition of Michael Chabon to write the back-up features, which are drawn by the super talented Gabriel Ba, is also a welcome addition! While that smaller story doesn't focus on Casanova Quinn, at least not for now, it feels right at home in this crazy world.

While the story that is being set up in this first issue feels more straight forward than what has come before it, it also somehow feels larger in scale. I don't know if that is because we get to take a peek at two different stories that populate this world, or for whatever other reason, I love it. It also feels like a great jumping on point for new readers, which I'm always for! Haven't read the previous three adventures of Casanova Quinn with E.M.P.I.R.E. and other organizations with acronyms for names? No problem, just jump right in! Obviously, I would recommend going back because it really is a special book, and explores certain themes better than the competition. I have unreasonably high expectations from this team of amazing creators, and it's totally reasonable after what they have proved to have been able to do in the past. 

(SOUND OF SPATIOTEMPORAL HOLOCAUST)