JUNCTION JONES AND THE CORDUROY CONSPIRACY #1, from Scout Comics on March 15th, 2023, follows Junction Jones and his partner, Niblets, as they find a dead body that may be linked to a larger conspiracy.
The Details
- Written by: T.C. Pescatore
- Art by: Locogonzales
- Letters by: T.C. Pescatore
- Cover art by: Luciano Cruzado
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: March 15, 2023
Is It Good?
JUNCTION JONES AND THE CORDUROY CONSPIRACY #1 is an interesting story, but it’s a tough read. Set on another planet (maybe) in the future (maybe), T.C. Pescatore centers on a Private Investigator taking od jobs to make a little extra cash. Unfortunately, a hot tip leads to a dead body, government agents, and a whole lot of trouble (maybe).
If you didn’t catch the hint, there are a lot of maybes in that description because there’s almost no setup, and the reader has to figure out the context through bits and pieces embedded in the dialog. In a current time/place comic, relying on the dialog for context wouldn’t be a problem, but here, the characters use heavy amounts of slang and vernacular-laced manners of speech, so you’re not always sure what they’re saying.
If you can piece together what’s happening, the premise sounds interesting. A down-on-his-luck PI and his talking cat partner (not really a cat) take a job salvaging dead bodies for chop shops(???). That sentence alone should get your curiosity antenna up, so there’s plenty to like if you’re looking for an offbeat sci-fi detective noir story.
Besides the trouble with the language, the story could use a little polish in the pacing department. Jones decides to tell a joke to the agents to diffuse the situation, and the telling lasts almost five pages, dragging the story to a halt. The joke makes its point, and it sorta lands, but the joke could have been told in half the time with the same reaction.
Writing issues aside, the art’s as interesting as the premise. Locogonzales’s art style is rough and gritty, which suits the rundown, dystopian setting to a tee. Jones and Niblets are instantly memorable in their appearance, and when the shooting starts, the issue is surprisingly gory. To be fair, the art style is rough enough to feel like an underground indie zine in a few spots, but the overall aesthetic works.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Junction Jones approaching a dead body in the middle of an alley. From what we can tell, there are chop shops that pay money for bodies, and Niblets, Jones’s partner, received an anonymous tip about the body’s location to help them earn some cash. When the detectives reach the body, they discover the deceased was killed with a specialized weapon, which means the dead man is attached to trouble.
Before Jones and Niblets can escape unnoticed, a cleanup crew arrives to collect the body. Jones does his best to act like a casual bystander. Just as it appears Jones can walk away without incident, the cleanup crew starts shooting.
We conclude the issue with bloodshed, death, and badges.
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Final Thoughts
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JUNCTION JONES AND THE CORDUROY CONSPIRACY #1 is an intriguing, offbeat detective noir mystery with a sci-fi twist. The settings and characters are memorable, and the premise is certainly unusual, but the lack of setup combined with slang-heavy dialog makes this issue a tough read.
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