Redline

This fun noir–procedural SF mash-up by writer Holman (The Art of Archer), artist McCormack (Café Racer), and colorist Kelly Fitzpatrick starts off with a bang. It’s just your average Tuesday morning on Mars, when human soldiers functioning as garbage collectors discover the remains of a female Martian native in the trash, right before a huge explosion levels several blocks. Superintendent Denton Coyle and his team are called upon to investigate this possible native attack, and another definitely human suicide bomber detonates soon after. Veteran Simon Kim and newcomer Christopher Peck back Coyle up as he attempts to navigate corporate politics to discover the truth. The three share a ribald sense of humor that verges on the juvenile at times, which won’t appeal to everyone. The puzzle that Holman sets for his investigators, though, is nicely convoluted, and the ending should be satisfyingly surprising. McCormack’s art has a ’90s look and suits the story well, walking the line between humorous and dark, while Fitzpatrick’s coloring leans heavily on the oranges and reds obligatory for a Mars tale. This is a bawdy alternative to science fiction police tales like Jay Faerber’s Copperhead. (Jan.)