The Unknown #2 (Boom! – Waid / Oosterveer)
She has solved every mystery known to man. But there is one mystery that remains… UNKNOWN! Revered as the smartest person alive, Catherine Allingham is the world’s most famous private investigator. Follow her adventures as she sets out to solve the one mystery she’s never been able to crack – DEATH! A new original mini-series from Mark (KINGDOM COME) Waid in the vein of RUSE with EXCALIBUR’s Minck Oosterveer.
Far and away one of my favorite new books from Boom! and of the month.
Catherine and Doyle make the transition from academic problem-solving mystery sleuths to down and dirty run-for-life mystical adventurers in the quest to find out how much a soul weighs.
This issue opens with Catherine and Doyle finishing questions with the Faderbauer brothers about their machine that was stolen. With what is a fairly unconvincing “playing blonde” moment (unconvincing to the reader anyway), Catherine quickly deduces what has happen to the machine and who the real thief is. This quick opening the only weak part of an otherwise great issue.
From there, our two protagonists find the “stolen” machine, unleash the wraith of an asian golem (complete with projectile needle nails!) and make an awesome escape off of a moving train. The reader gets some more insight into Catherine’s condition through Doyle letting Catherine know, that through observations, he has concluded that she is having hallucinations and has pieced together what is happening to her, solidifying the fact that he is not just “brute force”. Big twist? The issue ends Doyle seeing the big hallucinatory goon that has been haunting Catherine. Very Kickin’!
I love this book and the only thing I cannot decide is whether I like Mark Waid’s compelling story or Minck Oosterver’s spooky yet brilliant art better!
Issue grade: A
