Deron Generally
Deron Generally
Abbott #1
Boom! Studios
Written by Saladin Ahmed
Art by Sami Kivela
Colors by Jason Wordie
Chapter One takes us to the 70’s and a scene eerily reminiscent of tensions still felt today. As reporters gather to ask questions regarding the death of a police horse, reporter Elena Abbott walks in to ask some questions of her own. As she takes pictures of the crime scene and tries to get information from a colleague, she gets a feeling that this scene is familiar.
All of the forces in her work life are trying to make sure that she tells the mutilation story is a way that doesn’t ramp up the already bubbling racial tension in the city including her boss, who stands up for her against the racist members of the board. As she wraps up her story, we get to see moments of the rest of Abbott’s world, including her life with a man named Samir and what happens to him.
When Abbot receives a call in the middle of the night to come to a crime scene she finds herself not only confronted with a brutal murder, but also a mystery that could get her killed.
One of the best aspects of this first issue is the dialogue. There is a smooth, naturalistic tone to the character interactions and everything feels authentic to both the time and the place. The dialogue is crisp and flows in a way that engages the reader in an actual conversation rather than a series of words to move the plot along. I like that Ahmed takes the time to explore language in that way.
The art is amazing. I love the noir qualities of the panel angles and the use of shadows. I found myself immediately engaged in this story and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
