Eye on Comics
  • About/Submissions

Flashback: Union Station

  • Reviews - Oni Press

The comics industry has lost some greats in recent days, and many are still eulogizing Jerry Robinson and Joe Simon online. They’re also mourning the passing of artist Eduardo Barreto, and justifiably so. The former two talents were well into their golden years, and as someone who started reading comics as a kid in the late 1970s, I really wasn’t exposed that much to their work (though evidence of their legacies were ever-present in the comics I was reading). But Barreto was a different story. I was quite familiar with his work thanks to his stalwart efforts in the 1980s on such comics as New Teen Titans v.2, Superman and Batman. I’d later thrill over his contributions during the 1990s, notably Superman: Speeding Bullets.

As a tribute to a skilled comics artist who provided so many wonderful moments of entertainment and escapism, I’ve decided to rerun a review from my days on The Fourth Rail — a review of a 2003 original graphic novel he crafted with writer Ande Parks: Union Station.

Union Station original graphic novel
Writer: Ande Parks
Artist: Eduardo Barreto
Editor: Jamie S. Rich
Publisher: Oni Press
Price: $11.95 US

I’ll be damned… Brian DePalma, director of the classic film The Untouchables, is doing comics. What? This isn’t DePalma? Let me see… damn, I was wrong. Turns out it’s writer Ande Parks and artist Eduardo Barreto who brought this Depression-era crime story to life. Once again, I find myself entertained by some strong historical fiction, but what really sets this book apart is the abundance of cynicism that dominates the latter part of the book. Once again, Oni Press demonstrates that it is the home of comics diversity and strong storytelling.

Union Station is the heart of transportation in Kansas City, 1933, and on one fateful day, federal agents with the United States Bureau of Investigation must transport a small-time criminal, Frank Nash, into town by train. Thanks to underworld loyalties and corruption in law enforcement, the routine escort turns into a bloody nightmare. It’s Agent Reed Vetterli’s case, and it haunts him. It also haunts reporter Charles Thompson, who witnessed the horrific scene with his son, and he knows something about the incident that sheds some light on how it came to pass. Unfortunately for them, there are those who do not want the truth to come out.

I got to know Barreto’s work on such mainstream super-hero books as The New Teen Titans v.2 and Batman, and it’s a treat to see his work on a small-press book. His style here reminds one of Jose Luis Garcia Lopez’s work. He captures the period quite well, and the black-and-white artwork enables him to foster a dark and gritty atmosphere throughout the book. He makes excellent use of darkness in key scenes. He doesn’t flinch away from the more gruesome story elements, and that reinforces the overwhelming ugliness of the events at Union Station.

Parks is better known for his inking — he’s penciller Phil (Green Arrow) Hester’s regular collaborating inker — but he demonstrates here that his comic storytelling talents aren’t limited to the visual side of the equation. He seems to touch upon The Untouchables here, but instead of bringing the story to a climax with a shootout at a commuting hub, it just begins there. What sets this story apart is the fact that the good guys are the ones participating in dark deeds. This story is about good men sacrificing their principles for various reasons. As a professional journalist, I connected most with the Thompson character. He’s the most sympathetic character, but he still crosses an ethical line that doesn’t seem so bad at first… until one sees the consequences of his actions (or inaction) at the story’s end.

This is a challenging read. The black-and-white artwork and some similar character designs make it a little difficult to distinguish among the players in this drama at first, but the distinctions crystallize as the story progresses. Still, this is the sort of book that merits a second and even third read. There’s a complexity and subtlety to the storytelling that’s appealing, but it’s not easy either. 8/10

Note: Union Station was originally published in 2003, but Oni Press issued a new edition in 2009.

Follow Eye on Comics on Twitter.

December 16, 2011 Don MacPherson

Post navigation

New to the Marvel Universe: Statutory Rape → ← New 52 Pick-Up, Part 3

One thought on “Flashback: Union Station”

  1. D. Peace says:
    March 13, 2012 at 2:06 am

    RIP Eduardo Barreto. I loved much of his work, and Union Station was one of the best historical crime dramas in recent years. I love that it was so well researched and had such a strong human element. Sometimes crime stories are a lot more personal for having unfolded in the author’s city, and I think Parks approached this with a lot of passion. Thanks for revisiting it.

Comments are closed.

Recent posts

  • The End of the World As He Knows It
  • Burnt-out Ends of Smoky Days
  • They Do Need Those Stinkin’ Badges
  • Future Tense
  • Teed Off
  • Scar Issue
  • Of Gods and Monsters
  • Genre Splicing
  • A Mouthful of Dollars
  • Striking the Wrong Chord

Categories

Archives

Categories

  • Announcements
  • Editorials
  • Features
  • Original Comic Art
  • Reviews – Action Lab
  • Reviews – AfterShock
  • Reviews – AiT/PlanetLar
  • Reviews – Archie
  • Reviews – Black Mask
  • Reviews – Boom! Studios
  • Reviews – Dark Horse
  • Reviews – DC
  • Reviews – DC/Vertigo
  • Reviews – DC/Wildstorm
  • Reviews – Devil's Due
  • Reviews – Drawn & Quarterly
  • Reviews – Dynamite
  • Reviews – Fantagraphics
  • Reviews – IDW
  • Reviews – Image
  • Reviews – Indy/Small Press
  • Reviews – Legendary
  • Reviews – Lion Forge
  • Reviews – Marvel
  • Reviews – Miscellaneous
  • Reviews – NBM
  • Reviews – Oni Press
  • Reviews – Other Media
  • Reviews – Quick Critiques
  • Reviews – Radical
  • Reviews – Slave Labor
  • Reviews – Titan
  • Reviews – Tokyopop
  • Reviews – Valiant
  • Reviews – Zenescope
  • Reviews- Humanoids
  • The New 52 Review Project

Search

Recent Posts

  • The End of the World As He Knows It
  • Burnt-out Ends of Smoky Days
  • They Do Need Those Stinkin’ Badges
  • Future Tense
  • Teed Off

Recent Comments

  • Marcelo Soares on Coming Clean
  • Perry on Scoop
  • R Phillips on “Fixed… With Tape”
  • Leslie on Avengers… Disassemble Those Guys
  • Perry Beider on 2018 Glass Eye Awards – Creators
April 2021
S M T W T F S
« Mar    
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
252627282930  

Archives

  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • April 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
Powered by WordPress | theme cats456