| Comic Review | Paul Milligan |
Umbra
#1 (of 3)
Writer: Murphy
Artist: Mike Hawthorne
Letterer: Erik Swanson
Taking place in Iceland in 1999, young forensics technician
Askja Thorasdottir discovers a strange skeleton, one that
may belong to a Neanderthal woman. But when she begins to
investigate the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death
things take a turn for the bizarre. Askja, already suffering
from anxiety and on the verge of alcoholism, soon learns
that the investigation may be far too dangerous for her to
handle.
Umbra is a book that I’d heard very little about before
finding it in my pile of preview books. Intrigued by the
great cover by Mike Hawthorne and the massive page count I
was glad to find a completely engaging and unique story
inside. The main character, Askja, hooked me from the get-go
and following her through the bizarre twists and turns that
the story takes was an absolute blast.
Umbra reminds me of the great
White Out series
by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber, and the movie
Insomnia (the original version starring the amazing Stellan SkarsgÂrd, not the so-so remake with Al Pacino).
Both of these featured tortured lead characters
investigating bizarre murders with disastrous consequences
and both were filled with a sense of ever-present danger and
isolation. Umbra is similar in style to these stories (while
definitely treading its own path) and fans of either work
will want to give this book a try.
I’m definitely keen to read the rest of this series. I’m
desperate to know the answers to the mind-boggling mystery
of the murdered Neanderthal woman. I’m anxious to see how
everything comes out for Askja, who could easily end up a
shattered emotional wreck before things wrap up. And I’m
eager to see more of Mike Hawthorne’s amazing artwork, which
makes this story all the more enjoyable.
Special thanks go out to Jeremy Shorr, owner of
Titan Comics for allowing us to use his advance
preview books for review purposes.
