SKINWALKER #3
"Strange Encounters"
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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Oni Press
Writers: Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir
Pencils: Brian Hurtt
Inks/Letters: Arthur Dela Cruz
Editor: Jamie S. Rich
Price: $2.95 US/$4.50 CAN |
I've made the comparison, as have others, but it merits repeating: Skinwalker has quietly appeared on the stands and proven itself to be a worthy successor to Oni Press's better known detective-fiction book, Whiteout. The exploration of unconventional culture is on the sidelines in this issue, though, as the plot guides us toward the climax and resolution.
Navajo tribal police officer Adakai continues to tag along with FBI Agent Haworth's investigation of another FBI agent's series of supernatural, ritual killings, which strings them along the country. Adakai's outsider perspective proves invaluable, but as soon as Haworth heads off to Washington to follow a new lead, Adakai is edged out of the investigation altogether. Not that it brings her involvement and personal stake in the case to an end, mind you.
Hurrt and Dela Cruz show a great deal of range in this issue. Whereas the previous two chapters were set mostly in the arid, remote areas of the southwestern U.S., here, they move us into more urban settings. The realism in the backgrounds is matched by the simple but believable appearances of the characters. They look like real people, not square-jawed and big breasted heroes that one expects from comics.
The politics of law enforcement take center stage in this issue. They not only contribute to the plot, but help to focus the spotlight on Adakai. One FBI agent's blatant attempts to advance his career, taking credit for others' work, rang quite true, and it really helped me to relate to Adakai's anger and sense of cultural and social isolation. If this script has any one flaw, it's that the cliffhanger seemed a bit obvious... so much so that one wonders why Adakai doesn't consider it.
The premise behind this book is a solid one, and it would have made a great episode of The X-Files. Nevertheless, that's not what's got me interested in the book. The characters -- Haworth and especially Adakai -- are what hooked me. I feel like I have a vested interest in their individual triumphs and frustrations; the writers have made these characters real to me, and any time that happens, you know that the storytelling has been successful.
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