Incognegro: Renaissance #1 –
Berger Books / Dark Horse Comics
Written by Mat Johnson
Art by Warren Pleece
Letters by Clem Robins
Who doesn’t love a good murder mystery? As a matter of fact, people still have murder mystery parties and dress up like they stepped into the 1920s. The party isn’t ours, but it’s in the pages of the latest installment in the Incognegro story. We’re headed to Harlem for Incognegro: Renaissance #1 and A Harlem Murder Mystery.
The story follows an African American reporter named Zane, who went with his bartender friend Carl to a party that is supposed to honor an author who wrote a book about Harlem. It should be noted, for the context of the story, that the writer was white, along with the publisher and the vast majority of the guests. As I was reading this book, page by page there is a slow burn of uneasiness and growing tension overall. Without spoiling anything, think about the time period it is based in and who is at this party. Then you see the title of the book being celebrated, and it really feels like the last straw. Another African American author, who helped with the research on the book, starts to speak his mind before he is taken away by another woman at the party. Tucked into this murder mystery is the story about Zane himself. He’s a reporter trying to make it the right way, but he’s also dealing with being a very light skinned black man in 1920s New York. We see him take matters into his own hands to do what is right in this issue, but quickly we see that it may be way more than he bargained for. The very last page is a very nice murder mystery plot starter, and makes it feel like the story has really begun.
The Incognegro stories have been around since 2008, but I will admit, this book is my first exposure to them. I feel like Zane is really intriguing character for a lot of reasons, and he is also very likeable. The more the story went on, the more I found myself rooting for him and wanting to see where his story leads. Essentially, his life is a constant struggle no matter what he does, and it made me feel like this is really one of those books you could have a great group discussions over. Then you have a classic murder mystery, a period piece of a dark part of American society and beautiful black and white art that really sells the story. I was hoping for a good story, and I got it. What I wasn’t expecting was for the book to be so thought provoking and have so many layers. So grab this book when it comes out in February. While I wait for Issue 2, I’ll be catching up on some back issues.
RATING: PULL / BUY