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Written by James Nokes Thursday, 13 September 2007 17:00

In a world where superheroes help solve not only crimes, but also wars, what happens when investigators find one of America's trusted heroes dead in an alleyway?

29 pgs. B&W; $2.99

(W: Bram Meehan; A: Jamie Chase)

In the world of Aubrey Norris, where superheroes help solve not only crimes, but also wars, what happens when investigators find one of America's trusted heroes dead in an alleyway? The death of the supposedly indestructible Steel Soldier is the focus of Death, Cold as Steel, a strange forerunner to Meehan's other work, Raised by Squirrels (see related links below), which involves manipulation by a covert agency known as the Special Qualities Research Laboratory that is responsible for much of the superpowered beings running around at the time.  

Norris is charged with discovering who would want Steel Soldier dead, as well as monitoring several of the other superhumans in the field, including Miss Lightspeed who is supersonically fast and has light powers, Nocturne who can become invisible, and Dominion who has uncharted psychic powers. As expected the tale has a noirish detective feel, with shadowy spooksters chasing Norris down alleyways and veiled -- as well as not-so-veiled -- threats to disappear.

Much like Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming's Eisner Award-winning series Powers, this story focuses primarily upon the investigators and those who must live in the shadow of superheroes, which is where much of the drama unfolds. As a first installment, this issue lays down some fascinating groundwork, as well as challenges for a planned three-issue miniseries. Stark shadows and large panels keep the pace relatively quick for this read, and the relative exposition-heaviness of it all means not too many general questions for readers.

Meehan builds up a considerable amount of doubt as to whether it was a superhero-sourced attack or an instigation by an agency that used Steel Soldier for all they may have considered him worth. Definitely some fascinating questions, and a great opportunity to show the innovativeness of Meehan as a writer, especially when the threats of this series are so unclear. Meehan leaves readers with a bit of a teaser about Peter Thornton and Lawrence Evans at the conclusion, as the two men who may be responsible for jumping Aubrey in the alleyway, but until readers pick up the next volume, only two people will know. | James Nokes

Read Death, Cold As Steel #1 for yourself at the Panel Press ComicSpace page!