Lucid: Vol. One

Smart and beautiful, this spy/black magic thriller is a blast. Young Matthew Dee is the new head of a super-secret U.S. government agency that uses "occult technology" to protect our world from invasion by creatures from another dimension. First, however, he must team up with a female British agent to track down the human mastermind who's collaborating with the enemy. This debut solo script by True Blood actor McMillian works some interesting changes on familiar themes; it's fast-moving fun, but it serves largely to give the artist a chance to do virtuoso riffs. The most impressive thing about the comic is the art by a 19-year-old Polish artist. Most of Wieszczyk's humans are standard manga-glamorous, greyhound-lean, with tangled, spiky hair and dramatically rumpled clothing; however, her vibrant coloring, striking layouts, and startling nonhuman characters are extraordinary and quite wonderful. In short, this is a book readers can enjoy for the story, but will love for its visual invention. (June)