The Rachel Situation
Written and illustrated by Viktor Kalvachev, Kosta Yanev, Andrew Osbourne, Toby Cypress, Nathan Fox and Robert Valley- this comic looks and feels like a gritty murder mystery with (almost) all the right ingredients.
The Good
After hosting Image's WonderCon party this past weekend where we celebrated the release of four of their new titles, I figured it would be great to give a review for one of them. Blue Estate #1 is an all new series from IMAGE which is set in the present and takes cues from a popular television show I am sure we have all watched, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Right down to the sound effects- which I will get to later.
The cover is incredibly striking- featuring Rachel; a sexy, and provocative female character who is sitting at the center of a whiskey shot glass which is being poured through the barrel of a gun. The cover to the issue reveals important concepts that are relevant to the story. For example, the reader will notice that drugs and alcohol plague Rachel, and that the presence of both the Italian and Russian mob lead to plenty of guns and violence.
The writers and artists manage to create an ambiance that looks and feels practically perfect, and the story contains all the necessary ingredients for a time bomb that could be set off at any moment; lies, secrets, mysterious duffel bags, drugs, alcohol, and of course, your average run of the mill gangster.
What will happen when a failed relationship between a famous Hollywood couple leads Rachel, a famous actress, to seek help from Private Investigator Roy Devine who will probably get way in over his head with Rachel and her "situation."
The Bad
The first page of the issue really threw me off. The monologue was scripted almost word for word from an episode of Law and Order which I found relatively obnoxious, and not the best way to draw in a new reader. I only hope that future issues do not utilize the same technique to open up the story.
The Verdict
Blue Estate contains everything you could want in an exciting story. The first issue is definitely interesting, captivating and will be sure to knock your socks off. However, I would not recommend this series to anyone under 16 as it deals with mature concepts and is not a book you want your mother to catch you reading.
