Review: The Dead Hand #2

Taking the cold war era espionage tale to a new level, The Dead Hand (Image Comics) uses the backdrop of a secret Soviet program in the 1980“s and injects it with plenty of intrigue. Writer Kyle Higgins is slowly letting readers discover what“s going on in the picturesque town of Mountain View, and the reveal so far, has been nothing short of breathtaking.

As the story develops, there have been multiple layers peeled back to reveal that not all is what it seems in this isolated mountain village. Nobody ever comes to visit, and no one ever leaves, which is weird right? The younger, teenage generation appears to be quite board, and ready for answers. With so many secrets however, what can their parents truly tell them?

When the first issue of this comic was released last month, it came highly recommended to me by the manager of my local comic shop. They told me how much they enjoyed the book and thought I would do the same. I was lucky enough to get the last copy on the shelf, while after reading it, added the title to my pull list so I would not be in jeopardy of missing future issues. I was instantly enthralled with the concept, and really loved the reveal at the end of the issue. Issue #2 did not let me down at all. With another amazing reveal at the end of this book, I“m anxiously awaiting the release of the third issue.

With many original titles trying to move quickly and get readers through a three-act story, I don“t feel rushed with The Dead Hand. This comic feels like it can go in about a million different directions right now, and that is all due to the quality writing of Higgins. If you take the best qualities of The X-Files, War Games, and Tom Clancy-esque intrigue, place them in a town that looks a lot like Twin Peaks, you will begin to understand how I feel about what is going on in this comic.
Along with Higgins, artist Stephen Mooney and colorist Jordie Bellaire create a fitting mood of isolation within the small town. The art is clean and the stylized perfectly for a political mystery. I especially want to call out the title pages which, with their use of only black and red are simply beautiful. Along with Letterer Clayton Cowles, this is a creative team on top of their game.

If you“re looking to expand your comic book horizon beyond super hero or movie tie-in stories, this would be a great book to pick up. There is a depth to the story and characters that has not yet been fully revealed and we“re just the second step into the journey into finding out what the heck is going on in Mountain View. I“ll keep this one on my pull list for the foreseeable future.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Writer:Â Kyle Higgins
Artist / Cover:Â Stephen Mooney,Â Jordie Bellaire

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Bryan Spaulding

In his free time, other than reading comic books, Bryan enjoys listening to his ever growing record collection and driving his 27 year old roadster named Mingo.