Whiteout Vol. 1: The Definitive Edition

It will be, of course, hard for Rucka to top the characters and excitement he puts forth in Queen and Country, but Whiteout is an excellent shot at doing so. The blurbs and other reviews all give the basic plot without revealing the gist of the story so I'll skip that and say the art is tight, well done and gives one a hint (as only possible) to what it may be like at the bottom of the world in the coldest on the planet. While the art seems as if drawn with a scrim over it perhaps the stylistic device is meant to approximate the light in Antartica. It may also be meant to save the reader from some of the murderous gore in the book. As for Rucka's writing, it is nearly perfect (And has anyone noticed that Rucka is extremely sympathetic to female characters?). I say nearly perfect because one of the characters reveals (is shown) his true nature too early after the first body is found. The character's action would never have been revealed in a cinematic expression. It may also be too obvious that this character is somehow involved in the larger plot; he is a bit stereotypical in my estimation, but not so much that I didn't read this book very quickly. I recommend this as an intro to Rucka's writing and look forward to Whiteout: Melt.

This cinematic graphic novel rises above the herd with its excellent characterization, gritty crime plot, and the fascinating setting of research bases on the South Pole. The central character is US Deputy Marshal Carrie Stetko, who has been exiled to McMurdo Station after having killed a prisoner in her custody. As a rare year-round woman resident of the pole, Stetko has to be tough as nails to fend off the advances of the rough men. When a body is found, and five other men are missing, she is called upon to investigate. The investigation takes plenty of twists and turns, with plenty of action and suspense. Stetko emerges as a character you want to meet again (fortunately she does, in Whiteout: Melt), and the artwork transports you to a unique setting that oozes with danger.

I walked by this graphic novel many times at my local comic book store and grew ever more curious about it each time. It wasn't until I read Rucka's fantastic "No Man's Land" novelization, however, that I finally decided to buy "Whiteout." Well, all I can say is that I'm glad I did. "Whiteout" is a gritty, hardnosed, suspenseful cop story with true to life artwork (so much so, in fact, that I actually felt cold looking at some of the stark, icy drawings filling the pages). Rucka and Lieber are wonderful talents, without a doubt. I'd love to see their female Marshal teamed up in a crossover story with the Tommy Lee Jones Marshal from the Fugitive someday. "Whiteout" is highly recommended!

I was floored by just how good this was. great characters, great story, wonderful art. I read it in one sitting. What works about this book where so many comics and graphic novels fail (and why non-comic people don't always gravitate towards this medium) is characters. The author fleshes out some real-life folk in an unusual setting, and the illustrator carries it through. Once again, a great read and I highly reccomend it.