Temporary

Damon Hurd and Rick Smith are both recognized and respected names within the world of independent comics, but their pairing is not one most fans would have expected or even asked for. Hurd is the talent responsible for such emotionally charged graphic novels as A Sort of Homecoming and White Elephant, while Smith has put together such varied works as his supernatural Shuck Unmasked and the travelogue Baraka and Black Magic in Morocco. Oddly enough, though, this collaborative two-part story subtitled “The Real Me” bears only superficial resemblance to either creator’s past efforts.

Nonetheless, Hurd’s character study of a police detective with a multiple-personality disorder is fascinating, made more so by the playing of this character off another with her own psychological issues. It’s a different kind of story for Hurd, but, if nothing else it serves as an example of his own versatility. Smith plays little more than Hurd’s artistic scribe, but his claustrophobic portrayal of the detective’s inner turmoil is clever. This joint production is not better than either creator’s individual work but it’s nonetheless a surprising pleasure.

— Jim Johnson

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#1

Sep 1990

Cover: $3.95

W: Damon Hurd · A: Rick Smith

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1 copy for $5.25
#2

Apr 2005

Cover: $3.95

W: Damon Hurd · A: Rick Smith

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#4

Aug 2005

Cover: $2.95

W: Damon Hurd · A: Rick Smith

1 copy for $3.50