John Flood is the survivor of a covert experiment to eliminate sleep in the organisation’s operatives. It worked – John hasn’t slept in over a decade! – but the sleep deprivation has made him a bit… strange. Though while he sees things that aren’t there, his permanently altered brain chemistry has also given him a distorted way of thinking and unique world perspective that’s turned him into a brilliant private investigator. So when a psychopathic mass murderer’s on the loose, John knows just how to catch him: he needs to find a missing cat…
Justin Jordan and Jorge Coelho’s John Flood was a really fun read! The story had shades of Jordan’s Luther Strode with the human experiments/ultra-violence aspects, while John himself is an amusing cross between Marvel’s Legion and Douglas Adams’s Dirk Gently – all to the good!
John is a great character and the most enjoyable part of this comic. It reads like Jordan had a blast writing him. He’s this warped, eccentric, Willy Wonka-esque personality who’s off his rocker but also way ahead of everyone else, like he’s playing the 4D chess Trump’s supporters claim the President is currently playing (sure he is guys)! I liked that he had to carry a camcorder around with him because his hallucinations have become so pervasive he can’t trust his own eyes to show him what’s actually in front of him anymore! There are also a couple of scenes where his antics genuinely made me laugh. The dialogue especially is quite sharp – Warren Ellis fans will appreciate it the most. John made the book for me.
The story is well-written, inventive and full of great action and unpredictable twists. It reads a lot like a Tom and Jerry cartoon but for an adult audience with John as Jerry and Randall Tate, the murdering lunatic, as Tom. Jorge Coelho’s art is very accomplished and he brings skill, vision and energy to the page whether he’s drawing blood-soaked action or slapstick comedy.
The ending is a bit rushed and abrupt – it’s obviously setting up a sequel which unfortunately didn’t happen because I’m guessing not enough people bought this title - but otherwise there’s a lot to love about this one. John Flood is for anyone after a charming and unusual buddy cop comic with a lovable, freewheeling lead – recommended!
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