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Written by Sarah Boslaugh Thursday, 03 September 2009 17:00

Hotwire offers electronic zombies and Mercy Thompson offers a midriff-baring coyote shapeshifter, but it's the fully-painted art that is both series' biggest draw.

Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead #4 (Radical Comics)

28 pgs., color; 2.99

(W : Warren Ellis and Steve Pugh; A: Steve Pugh)

Mercy Thompson Homecoming (Del Rey/Dabel Brothers)

112 pgs., color; 22.95 (hardcover)

(W: Patricia Briggs, David Lawrence; A: Francis Tsai, Amelia Woo)

When we last saw detective exorcist Alice Hotwire in Requiem for the Dead #3 she was facing off with a baby bluelight (ghost) in an underground cemetery which was rapidly filling with water. Issue 4 picks right up on the action, opening with a series of rapid cuts: first we're at a demonstration against police brutality, then in the underground cemetery with Alice, then in a flashback to Alice's early years, then she's rescued and back above ground not much worse for the wear.

The rapid shifts of scene continue for the rest of the story: it's like a music video with cool futuristic art but no music. As you would expect from this type of comic, there are some interesting ideas which mix up the old and the new: on the one hand entire mobs of people can be turned into electronic zombies not responsible for their behavior (it's called "electronic harassment" and means the police are forbidden to use lethal force on them) while on the other hand Alice uses one of the oldest tricks in the book to freeze up a homicidal blue light. The conclusion of the arc is sufficient if not outstanding and leaves the door open for sequels. Overall, I'd say the strong points of this series are the art (fully painted,  highly expressive and loaded with action) and the attitudinous central character while the stories are a little too disjointed for my taste. (Of course I may just be showing my age on that score.) Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead vol. 4 goes on sale Sept. 2. You can check out samples of the art at http://www.radicalcomics.com/titles/comics/hotwire.

Mercy (Mercedes) Thompson is another woman with plenty of attitude and who's not afraid to mix it up. She's a coyote shapeshifter which allows her to move back and forth between the supernatural world and the one the rest of us live in and her biculturality is causing some problems in the "settling down to adulthood" department. She lives somewhere in the Pacific Northwest which seems to be a lot like Bon Temps, Louisiana of True Blood Fame in that vampires and werewolves and such coexist with the human population and it's not always clear who is what. Strangely enough most humans seem to be unaware of this other world even though it regularly intersects with their own: I'm sure there's a metaphor about minority cultures in there someplace.  

Mercy Thompson Homecoming is the hardbound version of four comics originally released separately.  The arc starts with Mercy interviewing for a teaching job: unfortunately she doesn't suffer fools gladly and that totally disqualifies her for the job. So she lands a gig working as an auto mechanic (if you love a girl in a tool belt this is the comic for you!) and gets involved in the local supernatural power struggles as well. You also learn some of her back story: she was raised by Bran, the Marrok or alpha male of the werewolves, and he still looks out for her as she struggles to find her place in the world.

The art by Francis Tsai and Amelia Woo is a strong point for this series. It's fully painted and beautifully composed with great variety in the size and layout of the frames. The night scenes are particularly good: snarling wolves, dark forests and the full moon seem to bring out the best in these artists. And there's plenty of fan service for those who seek it: Mercy favors bare midriffs which show off her wolf-paw tattoo and shapeshifting requires discarding clothing so you get to see all of her more than a few times.

Extras for Mercy Thompson Homecoming include character sketches and an interview with author Patricia Briggs. You can check out a preview at http://www.dabelbrothers.com/index.php?categoryid=16&p2_articleid=21 and learn more about the prolific Briggs and her other books at http://www.patriciabriggs.com/ . | Sarah Boslaugh