DROWSE #1, from Frank Verano & Nick Klinger, follows Paul Caine, a down-on-his-luck supernatural detective hired to find a missing person who may be tied to a sinister plot.
The Details
- Written By: Frank Verano, Nick Klinger
- Art By: Jaime Huxtable
- Colors By: Jaime Huxtable
- Letters By: Taylor Esposito
- Cover Price: FREE
- Release Date: Available Now
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Was It Good?
If you were to hand out the print version of this comic to people and ask them (after reading it) if they would want to know what happens next, the answer would probably be “yes”. How’s that for an endorsement?
DROWSE #1 kicks off, as the creators put it, a “lo-fi supernatural crime series” about a private detective possessed of supernatural talents whose looking for his next client. “Lo-fi” is apt but it probably undersells the quality of art and storytelling in this first chapter. Sure, the lines aren’t clean, the panels don’t contain anything remotely approaching spectacle, and the backgrounds barely rise above children’s book detail. But what this first issue lacks in modern Big 2-style finesse, it makes up for with solid character design and anatomy, surprisingly good coloring, and a disarming story that uses subtlety and nuance to grab your attention right where it’s needed.
The story succeeds partly because the main character, Paul Caine, is a strange, quirky, character. You get to see him use his “talents” to help with a case. He’s morally grey in that he’s not above dirty tricks to get what he wants, but there’s a decent heart underneath the hustler. And for all his troubles, you have to appreciate a man who appreciates good music. In many respects, Caine is a mutt, an underdog, and regardless of his moral failings, it’s easy to root for and invest in an underdog.
Back to the art, the high point is Huxtable’s coloring. If you take the “supernatural” out of this story, it’s still a detective noir plot. Detective noir relies heavily on shadows as if they’re a separate character, and Huxtable uses shadows effectively here to set a sullen mood to reflect Caine’s temperament and the situation. Colorists, please take note of this issue for how to do shadows correctly in a detective noir comic.
To be fair, this comic isn’t perfect. Again, the lines could be cleaner and you could nitpick the art on multiple levels, but the primary down point is the lack of setup in the writing. Readers are given no information about where and when this story takes place. That gap eventually works itself out with little nuggets dropped here and there, but rather than jumping right in to enjoy the story, the gap creates a sense of disorientation that distracts away from enjoying the story on its face.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Private Investigator (PI) Paul Caine is on the hunt for his next case to make ends meet. He’s aware of a missing person involving the Lambert family’s son, but the family is put off from using Caine due to his reputation for using unusual detecting methods. Methods that involve psychic powers and the supernatural.
Desperate for work, Caine delivers compromising photos to the latest detective on the Lambert case, warning him to drop the case. When the package is delivered, Caine takes his dog for a walk where he encounters a protest group outside a military recruiting station. The lead protestor encourages passers-by to give their time over to a worthwhile cause, The People’s Project, rather than enlist in giving their lives in foreign wars.
We conclude the issue with Mrs. Lambert making a desperate plea, an alleyway discovery, and a look inside the People’s Project.
Final Thoughts
DROWSE #1 is an effective, supernatural detective story. The art creates the right tone and tenor for an atmospheric setting, the plotting and pacing are super-focused, and the main character is interesting in a charmingly flawed way. Check this webcomic out.
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