In the wake of a system-wide civil war, hard-nosed interplanetary investigator Cal Talmage is given a simple mission to find a missing ambassador's daughter in Mars Central, aka Red City. The routine case quickly complicates as Cal finds himself in the midst of rival alien mobs, street vendettas and political conspiracies. He struggles with personal demons as he discovers that another war is brewing, and the lives of an entire race hang in the balance.
Again, Red City #1 was quite a pleasant surprise. At this preliminary stage, the creative team has done a fantastic job of blending the science fiction and detective aspects of this series, and the story is already throwing unexpected developments at us. Theres a lot to enjoy about this one, and Red City will likely appeal to fans of a wide range of genres. Read Full Review
RED CITY takes two genres that Image fans can't seem to get enough of -- sci-fi and noir -- and melds them together in a street-level book with interplanetary consequences. Mobsters, crooked cops, and other classic noir tropes add a dark edge to a neon future, and a lengthy history involving warring planets sets the stakes high for our hardboiled hero. Read Full Review
Red City would be an interesting noir story even if it was set in the here and now. Throwing it in space adds a new level to the tale, but it gets bogged down a bit in the exposition with this first issue. With that out of the way, future issues should hit the ground running. Corey has developed a rich sci-fi mythology and placed a lovable smartass in the center. Read Full Review
As I often like to point out, I enjoy something different in my reading diet. Murder mysteries are great as well as science fiction stories, but when you mix the two together as effectively as Red City does, you have to pay attention. What technology may prove the be significant? Also, which characters are necessary for us to follow to figure out whodunt? Its those kinds of things that will keep me visiting Red City for months to come! I hope you will be, too! Read Full Review
The great thing about this issue is that when you read it everything fades into the background. Not once did I make a comparison to another story while reading it, but when you finish it that's when the thoughts creep in. I don't think it'll be for everyone since there is a lot of genre meshing, but it could surprise some people. Myself, I'll be back for the next issue and hope that it can throw a few surprises my way. Read Full Review
Red City will absolutely make my pull list. It has aliens, political intrigue, gangsters, a hard boiled detective, hologram strippers and even a surly police captain. I am a sucker for detective and science fiction, and this book blends them both perfectly. Red City, like every crime story only has a few ways it can end, but that is not the point. What really matters is the journey, and I cant wait to see where Corey and Dos Santos take us. Read Full Review
Red City #1 is a solid start to what should be a worthy addition to any pull-list. There are some shortcomings but for the most part this creative team succeeds. Recommended. Read Full Review
Ooknabah AKA Brent Hirose is a writer, actor and gigantic nerd from Vancouver B.C. You can listen to his podcast about that atHugeNerds.Podomatic.Comor check out his many other projects atBrentHirose.com Read Full Review
Mark Dos Santos' art is able to bring that setting to life well enough. The heavy blacks and distinctive character designs help give the book a distinct look and feel. On the down side, the figures can be a little stiff during the action scenes. I also think the book might benefit from more of a neo-noir aesthetic, with some bright lights and a dash of Blade Runner to spice up the Martian cityscapes. Read Full Review
I really hope they can smooth things out and deliver a second issue that will do what the first tried to yet failed at doing. Every story has its crowd, at the moment this crowd doesn't involve me. Read Full Review
I'm not entirely sold on this story yet. The dialogue is great and the character has just enough of a chip on his shoulder to get behind, but the world is very mediocre with an even more mediocre plot. Read Full Review
There's quite a bit of story in this first issue with the civil war that's going on all around Cal. We're introduced to Mercurians, Neptunians, and Venusians. It just feels as though there's too much. It's easy enough to understand, but because there are so many concepts and races introduced, none of them felt all that special or deep. Corey introduces some neat ideas, but with so much going on, it's tough to see it all coming together in a way that won't feel rushed, but time will have to tell. It remains to be seen if this series can take its time to touch on all the potential story ideas introduced, but as far as first issues go, it all felt a bit too generic. Read Full Review
Cal is an infuriatingly annoying character who seems to think he has so much charm, but really I just spent the whole issue wanting to slap him in the face. The idea of NSS with different races interacting under one government is a decent one, but I dont see anything here that makes me want to return and see what happens next. If youre desperate for a new sci-fi comic, this is definitely science fiction, but there are plenty of better comic book sci fi alternatives to choose over this one. I kind of feel bad, being so harsh, but when a character shits you this much, its hard not to react against it. Read Full Review
"The Red City" has the potential to be a really intriguing comic. It's a noir story set on Mars, there's a thousand ways that could go right. Still, the creative team feels uncertain enough to truly dive into their world with full confidence. A gigantic world, full of planets and new interplanetary dynamics are reduced to one city and some characters mumbling about politics like this is Naboo inThe Phantom Menace.Maybe if Corey and Dos Santos trusted more in their story and allowed it to breathe on its own, rather than try and apply a narration structure that only hindered it, then maybe this could've been a really good title. For now, it's about so-so. Read Full Review
"Red City" had a lot of potential with a great premise and a vivid, detailed history. Despite this, this issue is a chore to read under the massive weight of Corey's heavy-handed exposition and standoffish characters. Although Dos Santos' art is a pleasure, there isn't a lot here to save this issue. Read Full Review
Red City has good bones, but is missing a good editor and artistic director to shape it, and give it the character it needs. A future P.I. working on Mars could be cool, but with clumsy storytelling and bright shiny artwork, Red City fails as Mars Noir. Read Full Review
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