DEAD DETECTIVE #1, by BlackBox Comics on 11/22/23, wonders hat happens when a pair of Detroit Detectives get caught up in a cult’s ritual sacrifice on Devil’s Night.
The Details
- Written by: Bob Heyoka
- Art by: Lima Jansen
- Colors by: Adriano Augusto
- Letters by: Dezi Sienty
- Cover art by: Lima Jansen (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: November 22, 2023
Is DEAD DETECTIVE #1 Good?
DEAD DETECTIVE #1 could be good. It’s tough to tell for sure because this first issue by Bob Heyoka teases what’s happening to the main characters, but the issue doesn’t deliver the big moment that sells the promise of the premise, leaving that all-important moment until the next issue. In short, Heyoka plants a seed that doesn’t bloom (yet).
Bob Heyoka’s tale of a dead detective focuses on Rex Danto and his partner, Jim Falls. The pair of Detroit’s finest interrupt a cult sacrifice on Devil’s Night, 1995, killing Detective Danto and destroying most of the evidence in a fire. Years later, Detective Falls visits Danto’s grave near the anniversary of Danto’s death, and a mysterious portal opens in the ground. That’s it.
When we say that’s it, we mean that’s it. You don’t know where the portal goes, you don’t know what’s happened to Detective Danto in the intervening years while he’s dead, and you don’t know anything about the premise. On the one hand, Heyoka stokes the flames of curiosity. On the other, the flames may not be high enough to bring readers back without a wow moment.
What’s great about DEAD DETECTIVE #1? Heyoka goes a long way toward crafting a fine bit of world- and character-building. Falls and Danto have strong, memorable personalities, so you get a sense of how they might react in unusual situations.
What’s not so great about DEAD DETECTIVE #1? The lack of a wow moment to hook you is a bummer. Heyoka creates a good tease, but if you didn’t read the solicit, you’d have no idea what this comic series is about. If Heyoka had put in some kind of cliffhanger or a surprise on the last page, we might have been more inclined to feel invested.
How’s the art? Lima Jansen’s art is great. Jansen’s inks are detailed, the character designs are distinctive, and the splash pages feel big. As a plus, Augusto’s coloring is outstanding.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s DEAD DETECTIVE #1 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with two detectives on car patrol in Detroit on Devil’s Night 1995. First responders are stretched thin as fires rage across the city. Detectives Falls and Danto are called to investigate one of the building fires with an unusual discovery in the basement. The building they’re summoned to is burned to a crisp, but the basement remains untouched, and the detectives find signs of a black magic ritual and the remains of kidnapped girls.
The Detectives find evidence that a larger ritual may be happening at a nearby warehouse. They travel to the location and find a woman tied to a pole, about to be killed by a cult. Detective Falls rescues the girl while Detective Danto chases the cultists up to the roof. Separated from his partner Detective Danto is killed by the cultists.
Years later, Detective Falls still faces scrutiny about what happened to his partner that night. We conclude the issue with a long walk, pouring a drink out for his homie, and a hidden passage.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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DEAD DETECTIVE #1 is curiosity-inducing concept about two Detroit Detectives separated by death when they interrupt a murder cult’s ritual. Jansen’s art is impressively detailed, and Heyoka’s script has potential, but the issue stops short of hooking you.
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