Deer Editor

Lindsay and Kivelä (the Everfrost series) deliver a taut, gritty noir studded with tough guys, suspicious dames, and hard-boiled dialogue delivered by a humanoid deer. “Sometimes you break a story, and well... sometimes the story breaks you,” says Bucky, a world-weary journalist who’s not afraid to put his body and soul on the line in service of The Truth—aka the big-city newspaper that signs his paycheck. A hot tip about a John Doe who died under mysterious circumstances brings Bucky to the city morgue. One thing leads to another as he and his faithful sub-editor, Dan, uncover a political conspiracy that goes all the way to the mayor’s office. Despite the unique physical characteristics and abilities that Bucky boasts—such as powerful antlers and the speed and strength to chase down and batter a car—none of the friends or foes he encounters comment on the fact that he’s the only animal who talks. That oddity, along with the shadowy, atmospheric artwork, makes for an entertaining hook—though the mystery that Bucky ultimately uncovers is fairly paint-by-numbers. But whatever the plot lacks in originality is made up for by the inventiveness of the dialogue (“Investigative journalism is getting out there and pounding sap from the trees,” says Bucky). This one’s for those who want to keep comics weird. (May)