Review: Devlin Waugh: Red Tide

The best-dressed occult investigator is back with the 2005 Red Tide (available everywhere, for example at Amazon), the second and latest collection of his exploits, originally published between 1999 and 2003 in 2000 AD and another magazine. After the events of Swimming in Blood, Waugh has retired from the good fight, having revealed his vampiric condition to the world. But a new large-scale threat to the world is raising its head, and this time, Devlin Waugh won’t be able to stay out of it, sheltered by fine wine and willing boys.

Writer and co-creator John Smith is joined for this 150-page story by Steve Yeowell, a British artist who’s worked with Grant Morrison (Sebastian O) and James Robinson (Starman). I must admit I’m not always taken by Yeowell’s art, but here, he uses a clean and solid style which works extremely well, in my opinion. His handsome men and boys are attractive and his monsters are suitably horrifying and subtly seductive. Even more than in the first volume, Waugh’s gayness is made perfectly clear, as the character is still played as a dandy with teeth (pun intended). Smith’s dialog brims over with witticisms and repartees amid the bloody carnage. I found myself captivated by this horror story, which uses its length to good purpose: a lot of characters are introduced, and the action sequences don’t take precedence over the ambiance-building moments. Definitely one of the most entertaining stories I’ve read recently.

Waugh mixing sex and sustenance (art by Steve Yeowell)

Waugh and his former enemies (art by Steve Yeowell)

A second 80-page story drawn and painted by Colin MacNeil completes the book, with Waugh going face to face again with the vampires who had turned him. For me, it’s less fun than the first story, but I’ll say there’s more action.
I’m sorry there are only two volumes of Devlin Waugh’s adventures. From what I’ve read, the character was very popular with readers when it was first published in the U.K. Can you imagine a popular gay dandy character in an American action comic? Well, I can’t. Not that I can imagine it in a French action comic, either. Let’s just be thankful that British comics seem to leave the door open to idiosyncratic characters, and that writers like John Smith can play in the world of Dredd.