Written by: Seth Kushner
Art by: George Folz
Publisher: KF
There is a song called “Nosey Joe” that features the lines “He ain’t good lookin’ and he ain’t big and stong. The guy’s got a nose that’s four-foot long”. Now, this song implies that big noses are terrible, but not every schnoz is bad. In fact, the duo of Seth Kushner and George Folz are actually on a mission to create a hero known mainly for his larger-than-normal nose and his enhanced olfactory senses. This comic, The Roman Nose, is the duo’s long-awaited release after more than a year of development, and the first issue is a uniquely enjoyable story with some great art.
The Roman Nose is set in Rome during the year 2114. Unfortunately, this beautiful city has become a terrible place run by criminal families and religious zealots, and there is only one man who can hope to stop the descent into villainy. Enter Michelangelo Tornatore, a man with a big nose, a healthy appetite for the ladies, and a super sense of smell. Sure, this combination may not seem like the greatest of superpowers, but Michelangelo uses these gifts to his advantage as he fights against the Vanetti crime family and the Pope. Yes, the Pope is a villain, which is pretty entertaining.
The Roman Nose starts with an introduction to Michelangelo as he beds a married woman, angers a mob boss, and attempts to escape from four Goombots (killer, floating robots). This whole chase sequence is well done in that it mixes the chase with some fun, little jokes and a constant narration by Michelangelo. Plus, this chase sequence also introduces another important character named Eva. Sadly, Michelangelo gets injured during the chase, so he resorts to calling in some extra help.
After this opening sequence, The Roman Nose bounces back and forth between the 2114 version of Rome and Michelangelo’s childhood and college years. These flashbacks explain why Michelangelo has issues with the Vanetti crime family, and they also introduce another important character in a tech genius named Miles. As explained in one of these flashbacks, Miles is Michelangelo’s college roommate who started out as an acquaintance before becoming a fast friend. Now, Miles is joining the team to help deal with the Goombots and the other more technologically advanced foes.
Jumping back and forth between multiple time periods could be difficult to illustrate in some comics, but George Folz handles the issue in a convenient way. When Michelangelo is running around Rome in 2114, the panels have a red hue. The flashbacks all stay in the brown and tan color spectrum. Folz uses these coloring tools as a subtle method to convey time travel without beating you over the head with dates and notes. These color cues work even better when combined with Folz’s clean art style that instantly attracts readers.
The Roman Nose #1 has been in development for over a year, and the end result is a great beginning for the series. Michelangelo seems to be a fun character, and his lack of super powers or gifts beyond a big nose make him more relatable. The addition of entertaining side characters, a futuristic setting, and killer mob robots (complete with fedoras!) just makes the comic that much better.
The Roman Nose #1 is a new comic worth picking up, especially if you love clean art and interesting stories.
