Are you ready for a super-powered retelling of Agatha Christie’s classic whodunit “And Then There Were None?”  Or should you skip this release altogether?  Read on to find out.

The official description from ComixTribe:

When RED, the world’s greatest detective, is violently murdered by her nemesis, the OXYMORON, the nation’s foremost super team and her former sidekick band together to bring the villain to justice. However, the mission goes terribly wrong, and before the night is out, each of the ten “heroes” will pay dearly for past transgressions.

What we have here is devilishly envisioned and astonishingly well executed romp that stars ten superheroes that are largely reminiscent of the Justice League. They’re put in a unique situation where one by one they’re being gunned down and they have absolutely no idea who could possibly be behind it, and that simple set up is where the brilliance of this comic book thrives.

The script by Tyler James is simple and to the point which to the authors credit lends credibility to his team of heroes.  Yes we have people who represent all the major DC players but they have their own lore, and the beautiful thing about this tale is that it runs with this fake history to establish an interesting atmosphere.  There’s no reference to any prior arcs or comics because they don’t exist, instead the narrative relies on accepted archetypes to flesh out the Alliance (comprised of Orion, Throttle, Master Mage, Androika, Magnitude, Bellona, Mazu, Mold, Justice America and Crimson) which works to a certain degree.

Cesar Feliciano does a solid job on the visual aspect of this co-created romp. There are moments where some design sense goes a bit awry but for the most part his pencil strokes match the quality of the script just enough to sell the authenticity of this saga.  He also  brings creativity to the table as he offers up some stellar re-interpretations that may fall a little short of the archetypes they seek to emulate but to his credit they’re believably realized.

The Red Ten #1 is a solid first issue that brilliantly sets up this mystery.  Recommended.

3.5/5