Written By: Dan Abnett
Art By: I.N.J. Culbard
Colours By: Patricia Mulvihill
Lettering By: Travis Lanham
Vertigo
When we last left off in issue 1, George, a Young detective, is working on a case involving another Young that has somehow been killed without the methodical processes for their kind. When the Restless took over the world, eating everyone in sight, there was a cure found. It doesn’t cure pre-existing Restless but, makes you appear dead to them instead, resulting in their lack of concern for your existence. The rich and socially wealthy feasted on it leaving no spare of the common man, once again ruling in this ever changing world. The only side effect of this so called cure is everlasting life as a vampire, or Young, but without the plenty of people to eat due to the near apocalypse. These elite beings have found no other down side yet, but the curious death of Lord Hinchcliffe has the department freaking – could this be their ultimate demise? Sporadic and unpredictable death?
Upon the autopsy of Hinchcliffe’s corpse there a several burn marks found. This normally wouldn’t seem out of place due to the 
apparent problem with Young and mortification however, there is a particular burn on his neck from a silver cuff-link he was wearing at the time of his death that holds an image with an unknown meaning. After following his lessening leads, George finds himself travelling into the land of the Restless, the ever dreaded Zone B.
So far The New Deadwardians is playing out in a style and manner very common to the mystery genre. We follow through George’s case via interviews and his journal. Clues come forth one by one, teasing you as though you have some hope of solving the crime before him. Not that it’s bad, that is what keeps us coming back but, beyond that I have yet to see anything here that truly inspires me to continue on in hopes of a truly original and enjoyable read.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with this. Just nothing particularly special yet either, it’s broken even in my mind thus far. On a brighter note however, it’s plot has a pretty large glimmer of hope in the centre of it considering this a supernaturally based piece and the art is simply to die for. I’m such a sucker for dull colouring and simplistic shadowing – it gives it all a very whimsical, off-putting tone that plays really well with a mystery based tale.
With that all said, Vertigo isn’t normally a publisher to allow non-sense to slip through it’s printing gates so, I expect to see a drastic uprising of overall quality soon. It’s hard to introduce any story within 60 some odd pages and two issues, therefore I plan to give this series a chance for a few more months, at least.
3/5. This is some good stuff for supernatural buffs who want to put a foot into mystery titles and still a somewhat enticing read to more experienced fans. I’m exciting to see what comes of it all.
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The New Deadwardians #1(comicsforge.com)
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- Plume #1 (comicsforge.com)
