Disrupting the Peace #1 exudes raw, brutal energy
Garth Ennis, Garry Brown, and Lee Loughridge’s Peacemaker: Disturbing the Peace #1 delivers an agonizing story that exudes raw, brutal energy.
Created by Garth Ennis, Garry Brown and Lee Loughridge, Peacemaker: disturb the peace #1 delves into the history of Peacemaker and depicts his dark origin story. DC’s Christopher Smith is one of the most decorated soldiers in the US military. He has been a Ranger, Green Beret, and is now a member of the revered Delta Force. Next, Smith meets psychiatrist Dr. Sedgewick, who is tasked with establishing a psychological profile on him at a military cemetery. Sedgewick soon realizes she has a little more than she can chew when Peacemaker begins to chronicle his life, from when he was orphaned to the present day, when he had to make tough choices about the ground.
Ennis has a habit of writing despicable and depraved characters in morally questionable settings, with gore being a staple of his stories. Peacemaker: disturb the peace #1 cuts back on graphic nudity and violence, but still manages to deliver a harrowing story that exudes raw, brutal energy. Ennis portrays Smith as a true psychopath whose horrible but turbulent childhood gives the character a distorted worldview with a warped sense of justice. The one-shot features a fusion of non-linear and point-of-view narratives that chronicle events from Peacemaker’s perspective, giving the book a personal touch. Using Sedgewick as a surrogate audience, Ennis positions Peacemaker’s cold narration as the line that connects his memories.
Peacemaker: disturb the peace #1’s artwork paints a macabre picture of Peacemaker’s grim reality. Brown and Loughridge bring intensity to the pages of this one-shot. They produce panel after panel of gritty art on over-the-top action. Brown’s continuous lines and extensive hatching give the work a dark, grainy feel, which is sometimes brightened by Loughridge’s colors. While the inking adheres to the issue’s grim tone, Loughridge doesn’t shy away from using bright, fiery colors in scenes of senseless bloodshed. That said, the colors generally keep the mood dark as the narrative unfolds.
Peacemaker: disturb the peace #1 is a cleverly written story that shows how one deranged man’s actions are often ignored by bureaucrats as long as they work in their favor. The story of Christopher Smith is a cautionary tale of a man who would do anything to preserve the abstract concept of peace. However, at the same time, Ennis seems to justify the character’s actions, as his kill count only includes people who deserve it. Peacemaker: disturb the peace #1, as the name suggests, compliments the Peacemaker HBO Max series.
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