Comic Review: American Carnage #1 (Vertigo)

It’s black and white, with evil all over, this American Carnage #1, from DC/ Vertigo.

Bryan Hill writes, Leandro Fernandez draws, and Dean White colours this first issue: and the issue is one of conflict. White supremacy, and an investigation into the death of one man. A man left hanging. It seems there is a spotlit shadow figure behind one white supremacy group: a silent partner, specifically, with influence but Teflon hands. Nothing can be traced or tracked to him.

Enter the disgraced FBI agent Richard Wright. He needs to infiltrate the hate group to gather information. And Agent Curry is helping.

This is a dark story in terms of content. Hate, killings, paranoia. But such is the raw material for drama, and we get lots of it here. Fernandez’ characters are a bit rough-hewn, not gracefully rendered. But there is power in that style, and the creative team pulls every lever and switch to keep the power on but the lights dim. An electric chair of a comic book, with a jolt of juice for every reader.

DC/Vertigo, American Carnage #1, $3.99 for 25 pages of content. Mature