Hotwire: Deep Cut #3 – Review

by Steve Pugh (writer, artist, and letterer)

The Story: Alice Hotwire races to save the city from an invasion of blue lights and the ignorance of the Bear Claw mercenaries.

Review:  As with any issue of Hotwire, it seems fitting to start with the art first.  If you’ve ever seen an issue of Hotwire, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting here.  That is, you’re getting what may very well be the best looking comic on the stands right now.  Steve Pugh’s artwork is so stunning that it defies description.  Hyper-realistic, immensely detailed, lushly painted, and with really cool high-tech, near-future designs, this comic is a feast for the eyes.  Pugh’s massive and ornate blue light ghosts are awe inspiring and I also rather enjoyed Alice’s combat outfit this month.  Pugh creates a very realized world with every issue of Hotwire, fusing science fiction with horror in the most epic manner possible.

But there are the little things as well.  Alice’s facial expressions are always a blast, making the character instantly likable.  Her little nuances of emotion are always conveyed perfectly.  I particularly enjoyed Pugh’s use of close-ups during moments of tension.  The bottom-line is that this comic looks like one of those books with a shit story but art so good that you end up recommending it anyway.

Of course, in this case, the story’s rocking too.  As a last issue, the action is explosive and there’s a constant sense of pandemonium, desperation, and chaos.  Pugh effectively manages to make the events of this issue truly feel city-wide, not just limited to our characters and what we actually see on the page.  It’s an exciting, gripping read that’ll have you flipping the pages unconsciously until you’ve reached the end.

Blue-light soldier Tom continues to shine this month, in a big way.  Regardless of his past, he comes across as a full-fledged hero this month.  It’s easy to sympathize with the guy, who manages to go from perpetual loser to hero in the span of a few pages.  Leave it to Pugh to have you ultimately rooting for the ghost of a murderer threatening the city with destruction.