RED CITY #1 Review

Worth a look? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

In the wake of a systemwide civil war, hard-nosed interplanetary investigator Cal Talmage is given a simple mission to find a missing ambassador’s daughter in Mars Central, a.k.a. Red City. The routine case quickly complicates as Cal finds himself in the midst of rival alien mobs, street vendettas, and political conspiracies. He struggles with personal demons as he discovers that another war is brewing, and the lives of an entire race hang in the balance.

When I perused the synopsis for this particular book I knew it was the type of cop procedural that was right up my ally. Throw in a bit of science fiction then add in some interstellar intrigue and the result is an engaging piece of fiction. It may not elevate any existing genres but this opening issue delivers enough good to warrant a look from any curious fanboys or fangirls.

Daniel Corey hands in the script and the author accomplishes an important first step: he delivers a likable protagonist with a distinct personality. It may not sound like an exceptionally hard accomplishment but nailing that gets people to breeze through the rest of any given yarn. Even so beyond NSS Investigator Cal Talmage there aren’t really any other characters that stand out. Sure we have our potential victim with a few wrinkles but nobody that rises beyond being a plot assist.

The illustrations done by Mark Dos Santos work perfectly with the text. There are off moments where faces seem a bit underdeveloped but a brief glimpse into the armed combat that plagued our solar system proved the depths of this eager talent. Add in the colors by Chris Fenoglio and we have a nice package the exudes confidence. Extra kudos for the additional one-page spread by the always quirky Justin Harder that we know for his Thor: The Dark World works.

Red City #1 is a solid start to what should be a worthy addition to any pull-list. There are some shortcomings but for the most part this creative team succeeds. Recommended.