Profane #3: Who is Will Profane?

Spud Coltrane’s murderer is still at large, and only the victim’s fictional detective Will Profane can solve the case. The worlds of fiction and reality continue to overlap in Profane #3 which makes a case for the series’ best issue yet.

Lili caught Will Profane dead to rights standing over Spud Coltrane’s injured rival, Ken Kane. But before she can do anything to him in Profane #3’s opening pages, Will’s real world sponsor Egbert arrives, fooling Lili with a fake gun and saving Will. Ken Kane dies in the confusion and Lili escapes. Will’s investigation is at a standstill without her. But if Will is going to find Lili, he is going to have to survive at least one more round with Honor De’ath.

Perhaps it’s illusory, but Milligan’s writing for Will Profane seems to have improved as the series has gone on. It is possible that this is very much the case. In Profane #1, when Will was in the fictional world and more directly responding as a character being written by Spud Coltrane, his internal monologue leaned toward the mediocre in style and substance. In Profane #3 Will is a much more introspective character. Part of that is that his dialogue is more revealing and his internal monologue has more nuance.

This apparent improvement in writing quality for Profane #3’s titular character corresponds to his growing introspection. Will recognizes those parts of his behavior that extend directly from Spud Coltrane’s writing. In some places he allows those informed traits to dictate his actions. These instances are usually tied to his investigative activities and momentary fighting that extends from them. And depending on what these traits lead Will to do, he will either complain or lean into the result.

There are times, though, when Will does push back against the personality Spud Coltrane gave him. In Profane #3 this attempt at self discovery occurs most notably in his interactions with Lili. Despite an opportunity to be the stereotypical womanizing detective that he was written as, Will is determined to be a respectful gentleman. Will’s journey of self-discovery is overtaking the murder mystery as the most compelling aspect of the series.

Fernandez is finding greater nuance in Will’s appearance as the series goes on. He runs through a wide range of emotions in Profane #3, likely more than in either of the previous issues. The more liberal and detailed linework Fernandez applies to Will originally just created the appearance of an overly gruff, somewhat weathered detective. Here it helps to better flesh out his feelings. His downcast appearance after Egbert saves him betrays genuine worry. Will’s hostility in his latest encounter with Honor De’ath is palpable, the encounter bordering on visceral as a result.

Will’s interactions with Lili are a whole different story, though. Fenandez lays off the detail, and the reduction in linework makes Will appear softer overall. Paired with his willingness in these moments to question his own nature, this is the most open Will ever is as a character.

Marchisio’s coloring sets very specific moods at different points in Profane #3. It’s most apparent during the fight between Will and Honor De’ath. Marchisio replaces the setting’s general ambience with red and orange background colors beginning with the panel where Will thinks he hears something. The background color scheme lasts for the entire fight, almost three full pages, and isn’t itself replaced by the original ambience until Honor De’ath escapes.

The violent and visceral mood established by the range of red and orange for the Honor De’ath fight contrasts with softer purple and fuschia that Marchisio employs afterward when Will and Lili are together. The color scheme is a good visual queue that the sequence after the fight is a safe one–a key indicator since Lili and Will’s motives have not been compatible at all times.

Eckleberry uses a typewriter style font, resembling Times New Roman, for Will’s internal monologue. The style choice is a good reminder that he is a literary character.