Professional basketball player and world renowned celebrity, Morris Sackett, gains extraordinary abilities, at the grave cost of his own mortal body. Imbued with the ability to jump from person to person like a ghost, he controls the bodies and memories of those he inhabits. With his own body destroyed, the one-time superstar athlete must rely on others to survive.

While Mosaic can initially be chalked up to being a Marvel derivative of DC Comics’ Deadman there’s more to it that I think shows a lot of promise for this series which I’ll outright call gutsy. It’s gutsy because this is a new character, which can have mixed results in success, it’s truly a rolling of the dice. Writer Geoffrey Thorne has given us a very interesting beginning that’s subtle on what makes the character of Mosaic stand out.

First, Morris Sackett is just not a likeable character to begin with. He’s arrogant. He’s self-centered. He’s not a team player. He’s what’s wrong with sports celebrity. To give us a main character so unlikeable to start is interesting, as that alone may turn people off. Superheroes are characters we’re supposed to cheer for, and Sackett doesn’t seem like one so far. His early thoughts about having his powers is how it’ll make him even more rich and famous and how much he can’t wait to show it off to his father so they can figure out how to gain from it.

Then there’s the Deadman comparison.

Sackett as Mosaic seems to retain his previous hosts’ knowledge and abilities (I use that as a general term, not superhero one). I don’t think Deadman can do that, and that opens up a lot of interesting aspects as he jumps from body to body and that’s one of the more intriguing aspects as far as the power itself.

Khary Randolph‘s art is amazing and he’s helped by Emilio Lopez who handles the colors. The two together create a look that stands out from what else is on the shelf in a style that I can only describe as a mix of manga and graffiti. It’s awesome to look at and the art alone makes the comic worth picking up. There’s a fantastic flow to it all and Randolph’s art enhances Thorne’s narative and the combination of story, art, and coloring comes together like a fine mosaic.

The key in the long run with this series will be Thorne’s writing of Sackett to show growth in the character. We’re going to need to see humility learned along with lessons as to what it means to be a role model and hero. There’s a Deadman meets Quantum Leap aspect about the series making it very familiar. The question is, how will it stand out from the rest?

Story: Geoffrey Thorne Art: Khary Randolph Cover Art: Stuart Immonen
Story: 8 Art: 9 Overall: 8.15 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review