Skip to Content

‘Casanova: Acedia #1’ or How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love the Prog-Funk Opera

‘Casanova: Acedia #1’ or How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love the Prog-Funk Opera

fde68d93-54ad-4451-93c2-20e229e35261

Casanova: Acedia #1

Written by Matt Fraction
Art by Fabio Moon
Colors by Cris Peter
Lettering by Dustin K. Harbin
Back-up Story by Michael Chabon & Gabriel Ba
Published by Image Comics

Have you guys heard of Matt Fraction? Okay, okay. But have you ever really read Matt Fraction? Well, okay, fine. But, if you’ve never read Casanova, I would argue that you haven’t.

 We’re blessed to live in a time where a creator as interesting and raw as Matt Fraction (along with his various co-creators) is putting out series like the breakout hit Sex Criminals, the criminally under-read Satellite Sam, or the new, but stunning, ODY-C, all at the same time. We’re even getting two final issues of Hawkeye out of him here pretty soon (finally). As lucky as we are to have all that, Mr. Fraction isn’t done giving out gifts yet. The latest coming in the form of the return of Fraction’s first creator-owned series, Casanova.

A little background: Casanova is a comic about an international, interdimensional, spy-turned-thief-turned-spy-again named Casanova Quinn. I’m not going to go into to detail about the plot of the first three volumes here because it is really something you should experience for yourself and definitely not because I’m terrified at the prospect of trying to explain it. Casanova is comic reading on Level 99. The narrative is sprawling, but personal, and the fourth wall is filled with weeping fissures. Casanova will break your heart, then make fun of you for caring, then apologize, make you laugh, and then break your heart all over again. Fraction co-created the series with the legendary Gabriel Ba & Fabio Moon.

The previous three volumes, spaced out over the last 8-9 years, have seen Ba & Moon trading the artistic duties back and forth, Gabriel drawing volumes one and three, Fabio drawing volume 2. The most recent, a four part climax to the first major section of the tale of Casanova Quinn, is an exotic, often erotic, frenetic crescendo of blast-beat laden prog-funk music translated onto a comics page. Tripping through realities, folding in on itself multiple times, only to blow back open again, Casanova: Avaritia is the sort of story you have to just sit back and let wash over you. It also could easily have been the end for this wild series. Instead, our titular character is dumped into a whole new reality, ours. Earth. Dimension number whatever the one we live in is called. Oh, also he can’t remember anything that’s happened or who he is. So there’s that.

 

Is my bias towards this series showing? If not, let me be clear (in the interest of ethics in comics jour- I can’t even finish typing it). Casanova is, for lack of effort to find a better term, my shit. I think that it comes right off Matt Fraction’s most raw nerve, and I love it for the acid trip that it is. Needless to say, I’m pretty excited it’s finally returned.

In Casanova: Acedia #1, Casanova is living under a different name and working as majordomo to man named Mr. Boutique who also has no memories of his own. After a party, Casanova encounters a mysterious woman and she attacks him. The result leads his boss to suggest a new sort of arrangement between them. Boutique proposes that they focus on discovering the truth of who the other is.

Casanova #1 Screen Shot

 Fraction’s script here is confident and cool. It’s the smoothest the series has ever felt, but it hasn’t lost even a step of the unique dance that makes it Casanova. Fraction has also found a way to make the fourth volume of this series into the most accessible one yet. There’s a verbal gag near the end that might initially confuse if the reader is unaccustomed to Casanova, but it’s a small thing and otherwise I see no barriers to jumping in here with no prerequisite reading.

Fabio Moon is back on the art for this arc and it’s a welcome return. Fraction has really capitalized on leaning into the subtle differences between Ba & Moon over the course of this series and it’s no different here. The art is sexy, expressive, moody, and unsettling at all the right moments. Fabio Moon is doing some stunning work here. Cris Peter’s colors compliment the art and story so well that I initially wondered if Fabio had decided to color himself on this arc. Letterer Dustin K. Harbin has also returned and, as usual, brings a distinctive look that really enhances the overall mood.

A new element added to the series for this volume is a series of back up stories running in each issue, written by Pulitzer-Prize winning author Michael Chabon & illustrated by Gabriel Ba. These little vignettes may be slightly less catered towards new readers of the series, but the first one we get here is beautiful, funny, and interesting enough to reward those willing to accept a slight lack of context.

Ultimately, all there really is to say is this: Casanova is back and better than ever. Go read it.

[wpchatai]