By Zack Quaintance — There’s almost an audacity to the way that veteran writer Brian Michael Bendis pens comics, and it’s on full display in his newest creator-owned book, Joy Operations #1, a collaboration with artist Stephen Byrne (and lettered by Joshua Reed). It’s been there from the start of his career, this idea that conversation can drive his books and talking heads can be visually interesting if the dialogue hits in rapid fire, snappy staccato ways.

It was innovative writing when Bendis first began his career so many years ago, and it still feels that way now, often imitated but never done as well as it is in the pages of Bendis’ books. Indeed, for my money Bendis is the only monthly comics writer who consistently makes talking head sequences just as interesting as the fist fight sequences in his book. In other words, his dialogue scripting is as punchy as the actual punching in his comics.

And that quality is deployed (unsurprisingly) well in Joy Operations #1. The book is predicated on a device wherein its protagonist has a running conversation with an internalized AI. This is a very solid storytelling decision, one that enables this first issue to pull us through the gorgeous sci-fi world formed by Byrne’s line and color work, while at the same time doling out exposition in a way that feels vital. The central character is a bit of an amnesiac, and as such, we as readers are learning what is going on alongside her, processing the information in tandem as it comes down from the AI.

This is all great for pacing and orientation, and Byrne’s work in this book is so clean and engaging that we don’t need a bunch of roundhouse kicks or giant explosions to create early engagement. Exploring the futuristic visuals and learning about our lead is plenty to keep the pages turning. It’s actually the lead character — the titular Joy — that to me makes this new creator-owned comic such a success.

Joy of Joy Operations #1 is a woman somewhere around middle age. This made me think back to the last wave of new creator-owned comics Bendis made, back when his Jinxworld imprint was one of the shiny pieces of his new exclusive deal to move to DC Comics (circa 2018). Within that, Bendis brought many of his pre-existing books, specifically Scarlet and reprints of Powers, but he started things off with an original title, a new collaboration with his Alias teammate Michael Gaydos. This book was called Pearl, and it was heavily steeped in a number of interesting themes, including tattoo art, San Fransciso neighborhood geographies, and the Yakuza.

Reviewing it at the time for The Beat, I was largely favorable on Pearl #1, noting that all the hallmarks of good Bendis-penned comics were there: empowering his superstar artist collaborator, his David Mamet-influenced stage play dialogue, and his keen sense of humor. Still, I had one qualm, and it was that it felt to me like Bendis was a bit stuck, continuing to write the teenage/early 20s characters that had for so long defined his comics writing career. Given his age — and his status as the father of a pretty large family — it felt to me like Bendis was due to engage more with ideas and people his own age in his work.

And that’s exactly what he’s doing in Joy Operations #1. The rest of what has long made me enjoy Bendis’ work is in this book — and Byrne certainly shines, creating a sci-fi world that is easy to understand yet still visionary in the way it uses hexagonal patterns — but Bendis’ character interest has grown with this one. The heroine has experienced life, even if she can’t remember it, and the book is all the better for it. I can’t wait to see where this series goes.

Overall: Brian Michael Bendis and Stephen Byrne are a fantastic team, dealing out an engaging new original comic that combines the strengths of both creators. What is most interesting to me in this one is the main character, and I love jumping into a book that does that. 9.2/10

REVIEW: Joy Operations #1

Joy Operations #1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendies
Artist: Stephen Byrne
Letterer: Josh Reed
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics - Jinxworld
To celebrate this big, new partnership; Jinxworld and Dark Horse are proud to present the debut of a fiercely ambitious, science-fiction odyssey: Joy Operations. Brian Michael Bendis, the New York Times bestselling, Peabody and multi-Eisner award winning co-creator of Miles Morales, Naomi, Jessica Jones, and Powers, teams up with scorching hot comics sensation Stephen Byrne (Wonder Twins, Legion of Superheroes) for their very first creator-owned blockbuster series. Fifty-five years from now. Joy is an EN·VOI. A special agent of one of the JONANDO TRUST. Trusts are corporate-owned cities that are the centerpiece of modern society. She rights wrongs for the trust. She is excellent. Perfection. Hard on herself. Driven. Almost legendary in some parts. Until one day a voice pops in her head trying to get her to betray everything she has ever believed. This meticulously-designed Akira meets All of Me journey shows us a new future like only comics can. All this and also an exclusive look behind-the-scenes and a look forward to other Jinxworld projects coming exclusively to Dark Horse.
Price: $3.99
Buy It Here: Joy Operations #1

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Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.