There’s a dead co-ed lying in a hotel room in Patience, USA, and the town doctor is trying to determine the death was suicide or murder. But that’s not the real mystery behind Alien Resident: The Suicide Blonde #0. Instead, it’s this: when the hell are the townsfolk going to realize that the town doctor is stranded alien?

Here’s the official word from Dark Horse:

A straightforward suicide . . . or a murder? At first, undercover alien Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle thinks the local police have this death solved, and then things get personal when one of his only human friends becomes a suspect. Also: The feds figure out that Harry’s hiding in the Pacific Northwest!

I won’t lie: when I first heard about the premise for Suicide Blonde, I thought it sounded like a setup for an ‘80s comedy — an alien crash lands on earth, and decides the best way to hide from the Feds is by masquerading as the town doctor. Although he looks like an alien to the reader, he somehow looks like a human to the townsfolk, and so the ploy works great. This scenario seemed richer for comedic possibilities than dramatic ones. But despite what could initially feel like a slapstick premise, writer Peter Hogan executes one of the best dramatic books this week.

Resident Alien is definitely a genre mash-up — part murder-mystery, part eerie-UFO-tale, this books plays with the best aspects of both and does an incredibly good job of moving seamlessly between the two.

Steve Parkhouse’s art elevates this book — he has a classic comic book style, and gives careful attention to the composition of each panel, creating a noticeable flow that carries the story forward. He’s not afraid of sharp angles; many of his characters have a careful, chiseled look, but nothing feels rigid.

Resident Alien first appeared in Dark Horse Presents, and I’m pleased to see it’s getting this shot at a longer run. It’s got tons of potential, and a strong execution.

5/5