SECRET #1
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Ryan Bodenheim
Release Date: April 11, 2012

Jonathan Hickman is quickly becoming a prolific writer of both mainstream (super-hero) and non-mainstream comic books. Secret is another of his forays into the non-mainstream. It is an engaging look into the world of private security, a subject with lots of potential.

Hickman is a talented writer who, simply put, writes smart books. The story reveals what it has to along the way, just enough to keep the reader interested, but not enough to give away too much. Every one of the characters has their secrets, and Hickman makes you want to dig in and find each one out. This definitely strikes me as a long-haul book, with many intricate details to be revealed toward a much larger story.

The best part of the art in this title, is its use of color to evoke a mood, and help define characters. It isn’t colored like a typical comic book, eschewing bright colors for a more monochrome style that relies heavily on different shades of the same color. The pencils are effective, and work for the story, but do suffer from a lack of definition in the way people are rendered within the story.

The cover alone would make me want to give this book a try, as it is extremely evocative and attention-grabbing. What I really like about this book is the gritty nature of the characters, and the scenarios in which they have been placed. There is a lot being developed in this series, and Hickman has definitely proven that he can deliver.

Verdict: 8.0/10