By d. emerson eddy — For a period of at least a decade, from the mid '80s to the mid '90s, the big two superhero publishers of DC and Marvel were looking for new ways to do things. Creators were wanting to explore different avenues than traditional capes adventures, tapping into some of the experimental boom that was happening in indie comics, which had an increased visibility in a burgeoning direct market, and to tell tales that appealed to a more mature audience. Tales of sex and death, of love and regret, of forbidden romance. Such was Breathtaker, an offbeat quasi-superhero story, initially published as a four-part mini-series under DC's own bullet, then packaged as a collection a year into operation of their new imprint Vertigo. Breathtaker by Mark Wheatley and Marc Hempel was something new that straddled superheroes, mythology, horror, mystery, and a coming-of-age road trip (that last one only kind of, if you squint).

The story revolves around Chase Darrow, the titular Breathtaker, a woman essentially cursed to live her life as a succubus, stealing the life force of the men in her life to sustain herself. Reluctantly, kind of. She's somewhat conflicted over completely draining people, but it's happened multiple times and the death of her latest love kicks off the story with a manhunt. It's interesting how Mark Wheatley sets Chase up as a sympathetic character, even though you could consider her actions manipulative. It taps in to the audience's own biases towards love, obsession, and using sex to get what you want as to how you'll ultimately perceive her.

Her foil is the walking toxic masculinity that is The Man, the government's rather brutal super-powered agent. He's an interesting counterpoint to Chase and serves as a more overt form of the negative obsessive qualities that also appear in the group of men (former lovers, family of lovers, etc.) chasing her to “help” her. His raging id becomes even worse when Chase is captured, they hook up, and he becomes enraged after she drains some of his energy causing him to lose some of his hair. It's at that point we're confused as to whether he now wants to capture her again to bring her to justice or just wants to kill her and eat her.

All of it is beautifully brought to life by Marc Hempel and Wheatley. Hempel's style is fairly unique, employing an exaggerated, angular and minimalist approach to the characters. It allows for an emphasis to be placed on fairly emotive facial expressions in the art, conveying a lot of emotion for the story. It also means that when things get weird, we get some really neat visuals. It's enhanced further by Wheatley's painted colors on Hempel's linework, sometimes even going further in some sequences to employ color holds, giving it an interesting soft focus. Hempel's own letters round out the look, with some particularly nice sound effects.

Overall, Breathtaker by Wheatley and Hempel takes an outside-the-box approach to ideas of love, sex, and attachment. It uses some of the traditional avenues of pursuing an object of affection and really turns it on its ear complete with some breathtaking visuals.

CLASSIC COMIC OF THE WEEK - Breathtaker

Breathtaker
Writer and Colorist: Mark Wheatley
Artist and Letterer: Marc Hempel
Color and Lettering Assists: Kathryn Mayer
Publisher: DC Comics | Vertigo
The long-awaited remastered edition of the acclaimed graphic novel – including an introduction by Neil Gaiman. All love withers and dies… but for Chase Darrow, it is literally the kiss of death!
Chase Darrow is a beautiful weapon. The US government gave her a sexual power that makes her utterly alluring – the perfect weapon for espionage.
Yet to kiss a man leaves his lifeforce drained and means that no one can love her without paying the ultimate price.
But Chase is now on the run from The Man – another government creation and the first superhero. All machismo, he is sent to bring Chase back, but which weapon will prove the most powerful – love or death?
Release Date: May 5, 1994
Price: This edition is unavailable digitally. A new, expanded edition will be published July 28, 2021 by Titan Comics (preorder for $28.99 on Comixology)

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d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.