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Writer's pictureFrank Martin

Indie Comic Review: Supernatural Baby Detective #1

I saw an interview with Joss Whedon once and he was talking about the title for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He described how each word in the title had a purpose. Buffy was funny, vampire was scary, and slayer represented action. Each word described a specific aspect of the show, which is exactly the kind of feelings I get from the title Supernatural Baby Detective. It's one of those rare titles that immediately puts an idea in your head. The first issue brushes into the concept and introduces it slowly, but it could have been a lot tighter if it dived in from the start.

 

The book starts like a typical noir detective story as a private investigator toils with a case in his office. He heads out in the rain to investigate a lead, which brings him to a mysterious island. From there, the supernatural aspect of the show takes over as he encounters strange fish people and a bunny mask wearing murderer, who kills the detective. Due to some supernatural level interference, the detective is reborn in the form of a baby and is determined to discover the mystery behind his murder.

 

One important piece of advice I was given by a comic pro was to learn when to start a story. The concept of the title is so strong that it immediately garners interest, but the first issue doesn't pay that off until the end. In fact, it doesn't even begin on the road to pay it off until halfway through. The beginning half of the book offers nothing new in terms of the detective genre. It plays on tropes and cliches while setting the stage, but there could have been ample time to set things up while also diving right into the supernatural aspect of the story. Of course, this is just the first issue, so there's sure to be more baby related shenanigans to come. I just wished the opening would have gotten to it quicker.

 

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