Writers: Justin Jordan
Art: Raul Trevino
Colors: Juan Useche
Publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS
Price: $3.99

Justin Jordan brings us a riveting story of a fallen DEA agent who disappeared in Mexico years ago and is taking down the cartels he was sent to investigate. The only person who wants to stop him is his own daughter.

The story was good and feels like a mystery/crime film in comic form. The comic dives into the world of the cartels and one man trying to out-monster the monster. The dialogue is handled well and gives you some incite to how dangerous and mysterious, the former DEA agent Conrad Marlowe is. Just from the introduction, you can get what he’s trying to do and how far he will go. Even the cartels are just as dangerous, because who can you trust that isn’t being paid by them.  The daughter is a likable character, but she seems a little numb to some of the things around her. She works for the DEA and you can tell she’s good at her job. We are introduced to some other characters that appear, but a few stand out more than the rest.

The art is great and has a manga style to it. Characters are drawn well and environments look stunning. Trevino captures the tone of the writing and the gruesome scenes of violence within the story. Just seeing an emaciated kid show off his eaten fingers then proceed to chew off another one is just brutal. Also, loved how Trevino showed the lead up to how Marlowe descends into what he is now. The colors are astonishing and it adds to the grittiness of the issue.

For a first issue, this was good and I enjoyed it. The writing is fine and gets you into the story. The art and colors make the issue look amazing. The are some violent scenes in the issue, but only pop up a few times. Also, Sombra #1 features a Spanish-language version of the issue.

5 Marlowe’s out of 5