The Cleaners #1 (of 4) – Review

By Mark Wheaton & Joshua Hale Fialkov (story), Rashan Ekedal (art), Jon Graef (colors)

If the TV shows “CSI” and “Supernatural” got drunk and hooked up at a party, they could have given birth to this little gem of a comic, the first in a four-part limited series. In fact, this first issue even reads like a pilot episode, and I mean that in a good way.

“The Cleaners” are a for-hire team of trauma scene cleaners led by Robert Bellarmine, a former doctor whose attention to detail and methodical nature I think are meant to remind us of Gil Grissom. In beautifully detailed double splash pages, Bellarmine moves through crime scenes explaining the nature of his work in jargon that sounds appropriately technical, but is still accessible to the reader. I especially loved how captions explain Bellarmine’s tools, or highlight interesting facts about the crime scene. While working for a high profile client, Robert is told about a big job that covers a neighborhood. He arrives to find a total bloodbath, and begins putting the residents at ease as he cleans up the mess.

Bellarmine’s investigation suggests a local blood bank or waste disposal company is probably dumping its supplies in order to cut costs, but the end of the issue reveals something even darker and more disturbing lurking in the city. Something that does not want to be found.

It can be hard to find new, original ideas in comics, but this is definitely one of them. Although this first issue was a little light on plot, Wheaton and Fialkov have still written an excellent fusion of noir and supernatural horror that loves its genres and respects their trappings.  And to compliment the unique tale, Rashan Ekedal’s art is suitably detailed and gritty, proving to be the right choice to realize Wheaton and Fialkov’s story. I can’t wait to grab the next issue and see where they go with this.

Grade: B+

-Tony Rakittke

Sandman: The Dream Hunters #1 (of 4) – Review

By Neil Gaiman (original story), P. Craig Russell (art)

The Story: To celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Sandman, P. Craig Russell has gone back to adapt Gaiman’s original prose novella into a four issue limited series.  Originally published in 1999 with accompanying painted illustrations from Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano, “The Dream Hunters” is a Japanese-inspired fantasy about a young monk and a shape-changing fox who fall in love.  When the fox learns of a group of demons who intend to kill the monk, she turns to Morpheus for help in saving her true love.

The Good: Seeing this story translated to comics gives new life to the original novella, and Russell was a brilliant choice for the job.  I have been a great admirer of his since I first saw his work in the “Ramadan” issue of Sandman, and I think his style is well suited to Gaiman’s fantasy.  Russell’s pages are complex and inventive in their composition, nevertheless, he keeps art beautiful and elegant.  If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of seeing what Russell can do with a comic page, this would be a wonderful introduction to his work.

The Not So Good: Not much, really.  I suppose my only problem is that this story is being serialized when it would have been better released as a complete graphic novel, much like how the original was published.  Being serialized like this, I fear people will lose interest in the story by the time it concludes in February, which would be a shame, really, as it is so well done.

Conclusion: Whether you were a fan of The Sandman or just love a well-told story, I think this series will delight and impress you.  P. Craig Russell reinterprets Gaiman’s original story with a graceful style, and offers a lasting tribute to one of the best series in comics history.  Not to be missed!

Grade: A

-Tony Rakittke