Is there enough to this mystery to hold the attention span of the average comic enthusiast?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

Mike reaches out to the only woman he recognizes in his dead father’s collection of personal girlie snaps, and not only does she have stories about the old man would curl your hair, but she sees a method to the old man’s madness. What if there’s a picture of his killer somewhere in the room where he died?

When it comes to spinning a yarn set in another time or place there’s a certain amount of finesse that’s required in order to sell the authenticity of the romp. Thankfully the creative team only lingers on that bit for a little while, as they instead focus in on the era by implementing modern mechanics and understandable bouts of surefire political intrigue.

Matt Fraction pens the script and it’s through his razor sharp wit that this title slowly but surely grows into its final form.  Evolution is apparent as soon as readers crack open that first proverbial page, and despite a hefty amount of subterfuge that feels rather irrelevant I found myself enthralled.  I think the reason behind that is quite simple: the dialogue is just too strong.  I gazed upon characterizations that are up to task but it was the author’s innate ability to enter uncomfortable beats of revelations with a strikingly steady hand that sold me on the conclusion.

The art by Howard Chaykin is simply marvelous, as the timeless talent dances a fine line while being unblushingly offensive as he delivers panels that are outrageously stunning.  Through his execution the visual side of this sordid affair garners attention as he attracts even wayward viewers that might have little idea what kind of tale this in fact is.  Save for a few instances where facial features seemed a tad off the full body of work on display succeeded in being engaging from beginning to end.

Satellite Sam #3 is another great entry the evolves the plot while making the overall arc more than accessible.  Recommended.

4/5