Christina Weir and Nunzio DeFilippis know how to craft a murder mystery. From Skinwalkers to Past Lies, Weir and DeFilippis have proven time and time again that they can keep you guessing until the very end. Their latest mystery, All Saints Day continues this streak.
Amy Devlin, the detective from Past Lies is back. It is three years after the events of Past Lies, and she is finishing up her time in the Cold Case department of the Beverly Hills Police Department. Of course, just because she is not allowed to do any detective work doesn't mean at she can't spot a case that needs solving! Someone is killing sinners with saints' names on All Saints Day. Can Amy solve the case and stop the killer before he strikes again? Or, will her inability to follow directions and her propensity for sticking her nose where it doesn't belong get in the way?
Devlin is a compelling character in a believable situation. We all can relate to being in a situation where we are prevented from taking action by the bureaucracy that is supposed to keep everything in order. DeFelippis and Weir capture that frustration perfectly in everything that Devlin does. Instead of having the freedom she had in the first book, Devlin is hamstrung by her police work; the thing that is supposed to help her in the long run is hampering her in the short term.
The story is paced well. Plenty of red herrings are added along the way to keep the reader (and the investigator) on their toes. Tension is slowly, but surely added as Devlin is forced to run all over town, chasing down leads in the face of the impending deadline. The characters she talks to ring true, and all the clues feel like they have weight and merit. In short, nothing is wasted and nothing feels padded.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the art. Christopher Mitten handled the art for the first Amy Devlin mystery. Unfortunately, he did not return for this book. Instead, he was replaced by the team of Dove McHargue and Kate Kasenow. This was not a good choice.
While the script indicates that three years have passed since the previous book, e art makes it look like twenty years and three children have happened since the last book! Devlin looks like she has been put through the wringer instead of been working as a file clerk. Add to that the fact that her face keeps changing throughout the book. There is easily a variation of at least twenty pounds and a dozen years from panel to panel! Since much of the book is talking heads, it becomes very distracting to the reader. Then the zip tones are haphazardly thrown in on top of the art. They start on top of a character, then bleed over on to the wall. There is no rhyme or reason for them to be there in most cases. They do not correspond to the lighting. They do not add something to the scene. Like the inconsistencies in the line work, they are also distracting from the story. Luckily the story was sting enough to overcome the art.
The mystery genre is sorely under-represented in the comic book field. ONI has a solid track record of producing quality mysteries. I just wish they would do it more often! I would love to see an Amy Devlin mystery published each year (a la. IDW's Parker series).
Check out the latest Amy Devlin mystery, All Saints Day, from ONI.
Amy Devlin, the detective from Past Lies is back. It is three years after the events of Past Lies, and she is finishing up her time in the Cold Case department of the Beverly Hills Police Department. Of course, just because she is not allowed to do any detective work doesn't mean at she can't spot a case that needs solving! Someone is killing sinners with saints' names on All Saints Day. Can Amy solve the case and stop the killer before he strikes again? Or, will her inability to follow directions and her propensity for sticking her nose where it doesn't belong get in the way?
Devlin is a compelling character in a believable situation. We all can relate to being in a situation where we are prevented from taking action by the bureaucracy that is supposed to keep everything in order. DeFelippis and Weir capture that frustration perfectly in everything that Devlin does. Instead of having the freedom she had in the first book, Devlin is hamstrung by her police work; the thing that is supposed to help her in the long run is hampering her in the short term.
The story is paced well. Plenty of red herrings are added along the way to keep the reader (and the investigator) on their toes. Tension is slowly, but surely added as Devlin is forced to run all over town, chasing down leads in the face of the impending deadline. The characters she talks to ring true, and all the clues feel like they have weight and merit. In short, nothing is wasted and nothing feels padded.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the art. Christopher Mitten handled the art for the first Amy Devlin mystery. Unfortunately, he did not return for this book. Instead, he was replaced by the team of Dove McHargue and Kate Kasenow. This was not a good choice.
While the script indicates that three years have passed since the previous book, e art makes it look like twenty years and three children have happened since the last book! Devlin looks like she has been put through the wringer instead of been working as a file clerk. Add to that the fact that her face keeps changing throughout the book. There is easily a variation of at least twenty pounds and a dozen years from panel to panel! Since much of the book is talking heads, it becomes very distracting to the reader. Then the zip tones are haphazardly thrown in on top of the art. They start on top of a character, then bleed over on to the wall. There is no rhyme or reason for them to be there in most cases. They do not correspond to the lighting. They do not add something to the scene. Like the inconsistencies in the line work, they are also distracting from the story. Luckily the story was sting enough to overcome the art.
The mystery genre is sorely under-represented in the comic book field. ONI has a solid track record of producing quality mysteries. I just wish they would do it more often! I would love to see an Amy Devlin mystery published each year (a la. IDW's Parker series).
Check out the latest Amy Devlin mystery, All Saints Day, from ONI.
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