Things are heating up in Stellar City, dear reader, as our intrepid police detectives, Sawse and Trustah, continue their downward trudge into the heart of the city’s underworld—or if not the heart, at least a kidney. There’s a whole lot of underworld to cover in Stellar City, and the triple homicide they’re investigating is fairly low on the police force’s priority list. Which may just mean it’s the key to everything.
When we join our heroes, they’re fighting an invisible assailant who apparently thinks they’re getting too close to the truth. Of course, the knowledge of who has access to invisibility tech may prove to be an even bigger puzzle piece than the one their attacker tried to stop them from getting.
As Sawse and Trustah continue their investigation, it leads them down a rabbit hole, into the life and activities of one of the victims: Heepo Krit – mob guy, cult leader, snitch, and all-around slimeball. They also get caught up in the world of froth, the new drug that’s plaguing the Stellar City streets, causing user’s heads to expand—and not in the good way.
We also see a couple more hit jobs perpetrated against members of the criminal underworld, as related to us by Danny DeVito. Not the actual Danny DeVito, of course, but an unseen columnist for a salacious magazine who reports on murder in much the same way that DeVito’s character does in L.A. Confidential. I’ve even taken to reading those bits in Danny DeVito’s voice in my head which only adds to the fun.
Not that this comic needs any help in the fun department. It’s weird and colorful and funny and violent and just an amazing ride all the way through. It’s one of those stories where the world is the main appeal: the strange, colorful characters and the bizarre goings-on. The writing and the art complement one another perfectly in that regard, showing us a whole host of aliens, literally of all shapes and sizes—while also spinning an intricate plot that I’m eager to get to the bottom of. It seems there’s one issue left, and I can’t wait to see how things play out.
This comic isn’t for everyone. It’s full of drugs and violence and all sorts of other unsavory things; however, if you like gritty neo-noir and bizarre, colorful sci-fi, then you’ll definitely want to check it out.
Creative Team: Jordan Thomas (story), Shaky Kane (art), Nathan Kempf (letters), and Daniel Gruitt (design)
Publisher: Burnt Barn Comics
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