Written by: Stephen Desberg
Illustrations: Alain Queireix
Coloring: Kattrin
Publisher: Le Lombard
Miss Oktober #4 Man, Politieagent – Comic Book Review
‘Man, Politieagent’ is already the last issue in the Miss October comic book series. Protagonists are Inspector Clegg and Viktor, a beautiful, deaf woman, but at the same time a cunning thief. In the previous albums, we could already read how Clegg caught a serial killer, as well as how he got to meet Viktor. Nonetheless, in this new issue there is a far more important case to be solved, namely finding the killer of his wife Margaux.
It’s 1963, Los Angeles. The police surround the building of the UCLA after they were alarmed about a break-in. Inspector Clegg is soon on scene, but when he finds out that Viktor was the burglar, he finds an excuse to let her escape: he arrests his colleague Samson after accusing him of murdering his wife. Samson had an affair with Clegg’s wife, when suddenly she was found dead in a dump, about four months ago. Clegg’s investigation shows that his wife wanted to take revenge on Samson after he ended their relationship, but it seems like Samson beat her to it. Meanwhile, Clegg wants to build a new life with Viktor, with whom he is madly in love.
The story moves at a steady pace, with quite a lot of things happening on every page. The setting often switches from the present, being 1963, to the past. This is clearly indicated throughout the album because of the colors changing. In the present the colors are warm and brighter, while in the past they are more muted and dark. Nonetheless, the two sometimes switch so frequently that you do have to pay good attention.
Stepen Desberg did quite a good job writing this detective comic book. The plot seems to be fairly straightforward until suddenly, everything you took for granted is being questioned. The storyline often switches between Clegg’s and that of Viktor. This certainly helps to keep the suspense.
Even though the album is already the last issue of the Miss Oktober series and is a sequel to the previous issues, it can also be read separately. Everything you need to know is explained, though this information is scattered throughout the entire album, which again makes the story feel more exciting.
The layout doesn’t bore either, as every page looks different. The panels are arranged in an original way and have many different forms. The speech bubbles often don’t fit the panels, giving this comic book quite a special look.
Alain Queireix’ illustrations, as well as the color palette Kattrin chose, depict the sixties very well. The illustrations are drawn in many fine lines, which makes the faces of the characters come to life. Movements are drawn quite nicely, for example when a car drives by at night, its lights leave a line, just as they would do in a photograph. The color schemes used for the various incidents are well chosen and are quite an original way of adding an extra dimension to the story.
Conclusion
Miss Oktober #4 Man, Politieagent is a fine detective story with quite some depth to it, considering it is a comic book. The storyline can easily stand on its own and isn’t too straightforward. It is told from different angles, which keeps it interesting to read. Also the switching between present and past adds to the suspense. The illustrations immediately make you feel at home in the sixties, with its beautiful fashion and hairstyles, and also the very detailed illustrations of the cars. If you’re looking for a good, but short detective story, this one is definitely worth checking out.
Miss Oktober #4 Man, Politieagent - Comic Book Review,
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