The Dead Hand #1 –
Image Comics
Written by Kyle Higgins
Art by Stephen Mooney
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Letters by Clayton Cowles
To say that the Cold War was a tense and scary time is an understatement. Whether you lived it, or just learned about it, it’s one of those moments in history that will never be forgotten. The story has been told a few different ways, but what if there was one specific thing that could have changed the course of that history? Let’s find out more about The Dead Hand from Image Comics.
The story follows Carter Carlson, a top operative during the Cold War. When I say the story follows him, it REALLY follows him. You get to learn a lot about Carter, get plenty of back story and even follow him the story’s present. It was hard not to get invested in the character, because we’re given so much about his life in such a short amount of time. We also see him stumble across something that he did not expect during one of his operations. There is a hint of what it’s about, but no solid information in this first issue. The story all but tells you that this will one day come back to Carter, and it does in a very interesting way. I certainly didn’t expect the reaction that would happen when it did, and there is an aftermath that is sure to be dealt with in future issues. The final page of the book was an interesting twist as well, and one that I’m hoping we will find out more about immediately in Issue 2.
There was a lot to like about this story, and I think it checks a lot of the right boxes. Higgins does well to add depth to his main character, and not just make him another military man following orders and completing his mission. An argument could be made that we get too much backstory, but as you read on in this issue you find out that it is absolutely necessary. The art on this book really brought me in as well. There is a panel with a mountain view at one point that was just stunning, and the in-depth facial expressions really lend to the storytelling. Not to be outdone, Jordie Bellaire does another masterful job making this pop with amazing colors and subtle shade changes that really help set the tone. This book could have been easily dismissed as another Cold War story, but it is clearly building up to much more than that. I can’t wait to see where this book goes.
RATING: PULL / BUY