Reviews from The Blog From Another World

The first issue of The Cleaners, written by Mark Wheaton and Joshua Hale Fialkov and drawn by Rahsan Ekedal, reads like a cross between an episode of CSI, The X-Files, and the aftermath of a horror flick. Is it a forensic mystery? A supernatural tale? A how-to manual for cleaning up after a mass murder? I'm not sure yet, but the debut issue has definitely piqued my interest.

The basic plot is as follows: former doctor Robert Bellarmine is the leader of a team of trauma scene cleaners in sunny Southern California. When particularly gory or unusual happenings are discovered, Bellarmine Restoration & Associates can be counted on to assess the situation, protect the public from any health hazards, and leave the area spotless in a matter of hours. But who is covering the hotel rooms and neighborhoods of SoCal with blood, and why? Is it something (or someone) supernatural, or can science explain everything and bring the perpetrator to justice?

So far, the mystery has been set up intriguingly, with clues sprinkled throughout for sharp-eyed readers. Plus, I'm enjoying the contrast of the menacing atmosphere with the carefree, California-dreamin' backdrop (Ekedal's depiction of the classic white picket fence drenched in blood is not to be missed).

This is the first of a four-part series, and you can pre-order The Cleaners issues 1 and 2 right here on our site. To further whet your appetite, check out the eight-page story at MySpace Dark Horse Presents!

Once you've read issue 1, come back and post your theories below. Why did Bellarmine stop being a doctor? Is there a connection between the multiple trauma scenes? And, most importantly - what's your favorite fluid solidifier when you're cleaning up gallons of blood?

Written by elisabethf