As a fan of China Mieville, Dial H went to the top of my reading list. I normally don’t read many comics. Outside of the New 52 of Aquaman, I am incredibly disinterested in what happens in the comic book world. That’s on me, not comic books in general.
The plot of Dial H centers on overweight slob, Nelson Jent, who comes across The Dial when frantically trying to call the police on approaching street gang members. The Dial then randomly gives Nelson super powers, rather humorously, and allows him to fight crime as an assortment of clever superheros. Later on Nelson teams up with Manteu, another Dial user and fends off a cosmic unbeing (You’ll understand that term when you see it) and a host of other challenges.
What Dial H does well is showcasing variety to the story. It’s refreshing to see the main protagonists be hefty Nelson and elderly Manteu. The protagonists are atypical, the situations are atypical, and that grants Dial H to be exhilarating. With the last issue throwing a curve on just how The Dial works and its implications to the DC universe; Dial H is one of the best reboots crafted out of the New 52.
This comes at as a great shame considering as of this month, August, is the final issue of Dial H. China Mieville can skillfully craft a situation in being lighthearted, to deeply serious effortlessly. The art of Dial H by Mateus Santolouco is a joy to look at. The character of The Abyss is visually arresting and the detail in all the crazy heroes is not to be missed.
Dial H is fun from the first page to last, and I wish Vol 2 will come out sooner than next year. I highly recommend giving Dial H a go.