24: One Shot

    (Idea + Design Works, 2004)
™ and © Idea + Design Works LLC

Anyone who watches 24 on Fox knows two things: (1) how suspenseful this show is and (2) each season’s story is told in a single day’s worth of real time. Those who are considering a look at this comic book are probably wondering just how IDW can capture those elements.

After slow but necessary exposition, Mark Haynes and J.C. Vaughn draw from the same formula that has made the show a success, delivering a highly charged political thriller that’s no less intense on the printed page than on the small screen. This intensity is embellished by Renauto Guedes’ beautiful, photo-realistic illustrations; so well is the flavor captured, it’s nigh-impossible to read character Jack Bauer’s dialogue without hearing Kiefer Sutherland’s voice.

And the real-time gimmick? The writers do the only thing they can do in a comic book: ignore it and, instead, concentrate on what makes the show great. But fans will get a kick out of another twist: This story takes place on Bauer’s first day on the job, giving fans a glimpse of characters not seen since the show’s first season.

— Jim Johnson
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  NotesWriterArtist
#1
July, 2004
Cover Price: $6.99
5 copies available from $4.75 		J.C. Vaughn, Mark HaynesRenato Guedes