A horror-tinted private eye yarn, Provenance of Secrets #1 struts its way toward us like a stage play, courtesy of Black Caravan, an imprint of Scout Comics. It’s curtains for you!!

Investigating a gruesomely bloody suicide, our fedora-wearing, suited private eye goes knocking on doors for answers. A strange symbol on the body has been noticed before; the police files lead our guy to investigate further. From there, things get more shadowy and more horrible!

Kiyarn Taghan writes this one as an ongoing monologue voice-over. Our private eye ponders, pontificates, points, and smoke cigarettes as he does his thing. Picture a silent Phantom Stranger, but without special powers. It’s captions galore, as we accompany our guy through his paces. Its pace is alright, we are engaged, but longing to hear a voice, some dialogue. But no, not a word is spoken, although many laws have been broken. I can’t remember when I’ve read a crime comic with no dialogue! It’s the Theatre of the Mind!

Christian Dibari does fine work in showing us the shady side of a sunny climate. Our private eye with his trail of smoke, the scattered clues, his squinting eyes, his dusty suit, all well played. The evil of the unseen, the hunched shoulders of the cunning, nicely suggested and rendered. There is superb colour by Simon Gough, with assist by Guilhermo Lindemberg Mendes, and Kiyarn Taghan letters the book.

Scout Comics, Black Caravan imprint, Provenance Of Secrets #1, $3.99 for 24 pages of content. Teen

By Alan Spinney

After a career of graphic design, art direction and copywriting, I still have a passion for words and pictures. I love it when a comic book comes together; the story is tight, and the drawings lead me forward. Art with words... the toughest storytelling technique to get right. Was this comic book worth your money? Let's see!!

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