I got to some cleaning late today, and part of what turned up were a few more of the comics trades I’d gotten to in the past couple weeks, which I’d set aside to make note of for both here and my zine. Time’s running out for me on this weekend, though, so I’ll just pick one for tonight.
Sequel on Ice
Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber came out with an entertaining sequel to 1999’s Whiteout, a detective story set in Antarctica, centering on Deputy Marshal Carrie Stetko.
As with the first one, Whiteout: Melt collects a 4-issue series produced by Oni Press. A black and white affair, it reunites us with Deputy Stetka as she continues to do her job in an environment that’s perhaps even more deadly than any of the adversaries she faces, and is once more faced with decisions between what she knows is right and what might see her reassigned to someplace warm. Unlike the first one, this one’s more of a political/crime thriller than a mystery, as some leftover Cold War baggage crosses over into a criminal matter.
Steve Lieber’s pencils are solid and effective storytelling, and well-suited to portraying very human beings in an inhuman environment. Rucka’s crisp, natural narrative and dialogue work nicely with the artwork, the combination making for a story that pulls the reader through the roughly 120 pages. I was surprised to find that I disappeared into the story within the first couple pages – a lively historical review of what the Antarctic’s been party to on the international scene – and only came out of it upon hitting the end of the story.
While not quite as good as its predecessor it was an entertaining read, and I’m glad I picked it up.
Start with Whiteout, and if you like it go for this one.
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