Scarlet Traces

Rating:
Summary: Well done historical fiction
Review: Martians have always had a thing for attacking the Earth. But in this case, jolly old England has saved the day and procured powerful alien technology to secure its position as the globe's preeminent superpower. But in the detective tradition of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, ex-soldiers Robert Autumn and his Scottish butler Archie Currie follow a bloody trail that leads to unraveling an awful conspiracy behind their county's new found military-industrial might.

When an old codger discovers blood-drained corpses of women and Archie's brother laments the disappearance of his grown daughter, the two Brits start snooping. As the powers that be start covering their tracks, with explosive results, the saying of "old soldiers never die, they just fade away" may unfortunately prove too true in this case.

Reminiscent of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, this story successfully evokes the rich detail of the Victorian era, from the distinctive architecture to the lively period patois. Originally conceived as a web-comic, the meticulous preparation in script, design, and plotting results in a thrilling if not unsettling story. In an era where governments delude its citizens with justifications for ill-conceived wars, the rallying cry end should be less "God Save the Queen" but "Heaven help us."

Rating:
Summary: A bit too short . . . .
Review: The concept, art and basics of the storyline are good, but like volume two of Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, it doesn't quite deliver on its HG Wells-ian promise. It is evocative but it lacks the detail one would want in a stand-alone graphic novel that wants to deliver a fully realized alternative history world.

But even though it felt like the plot wrapped up a bit too fast, for the price it is hard to beat this little harcover volume.