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The best first issue I’ve read in a long time.

Now this is intriguing. A new series about something very interesting that I know absolutely nothing about, created by people I have never heard of, and published by a company that doesn’t do this sort of thing all that often. How could I not check it out? And now that I have just finished reading it, all I can say is “wow”. Not in that way that implies something is so bad or wrong that you can’t help but be ensorcelled by its utter lack of redeeming qualities. No, this would be in that way that means that I am at a complete loss for words when it comes to describing how impressed I am right now. But now that I’ve had a few more minutes to process what I have just read I’ll do my best to elaborate further.

The Cleaners is all about those whose job it is to tidy up places that have experienced a great deal of ‘trauma’. Simply put, locations where copious amounts of blood and other body fluids have somehow found their way out of the nice fleshy bodies that they once called home. Specifically it’s about one group of these specialists in particular, Robert Bellarmine’s Restoration & Reclamation. We follow Mr. Bellarmine through what must be a typical day, watching him apply his craft to crime scenes that the local authorities are finished with. Through Robert’s conversations with his clients we learn a great deal about the process and how important it is that it be done properly. What’s probably most horrifying about this book is the thought of how easy it must be for just one of these messes to contaminate the surrounding area with all kinds of deadly organisms. This comic will certainly not allay any fears you might have regarding blood, germs, or your local drinking water, that’s for sure.

But there’s so much more to this story than just the fascinating factoids. There are glimpses into Bellarmine’s past as a doctor, introductions to the rest of his crew and his girlfriend, and a grisly interlude with a madman who might be behind the carnage at Robert’s recent job sites. Writers Mark Wheaton and Joshua Hale Fialkov have told more story in one issue than many books do in an entire arc. There’s such great pacing and set-up here that you’ll find yourself voraciously tearing through each page all the way to its sinister ending, and you will be wanting more. After just twenty-eight pages I’m so hooked that I can’t help but find it a shame that this is only a four issue series, and that it is on a bi-monthly schedule.

The book is just as strong on the visual end courtesy of artist Rahsan Ekedal and colorist Jon Graef, who both have the eye for detail that a story like this requires. Every panel is sharp: the characters feel real, the backgrounds and angles are beautiful, and all the grimness is appropriately gritty. The cover is very eye-catching and menacing, and should go a long way toward selling extra copies right off the shelf. There’s no doubt at all that this entire creative team is on the same page, and they make the wait until issue number two all the more agonizing.

So what we have here is nothing less than one of the best new books of the year, brought to us by folks whose names I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of in the future. This one will appeal to fans of horror, crime and procedurals, character-driven drama, AND the supernatural. I strongly recommend giving it a shot and passing it around-this could be the one that gets all your friends who are hooked on shows like CSI and Dexter into the world of comics.

The Cleaners #1
“Absent Bodies” part 1 of 4
Written by: Mark Wheaton and Joshua Hale Fialkov
Art by: Rahsan Ekedal
Color by: Jon Graef
Letters by: Michael David Thomas
Published by: Dark Horse Comics

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