clear by scott snyder

Illustrated by Francis Manapul
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In a world full of filtered realities known as "veils", Sam Dunes is an ex-investigator who must take on a challenging case - figure out an apparent suicide of his ex-wife, which he believes could have been a murder in an altered reality. He receives a clue in the mail, and suddenly other entities are after him, wanting what he now possesses. Sam reconnects with many of his criminal underworld contacts to bring himself deeper into the twisted world of black veils, virtual realities deeper inside other realities, and the elite that manipulate everything others can see and believe about their worlds, all while staying just a bit ahead of the actual police who are investigating everyone involved.

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The story here is nothing we haven't seen before - gruff ex-cop with something to prove, clues slipped into the mail just before a suicide that wasn't really a suicide, virtual realities that turn out to be shady... Snyder is really pulling from seminal works like Blade Runner and Inception. But what makes this work stand out is brilliant illustrative work from Manapul, who was given carte blanch freedom to create virtual realities that were absolutely out of this world, and he delivered. The coloring is bright and vibrant, and every piece of the page is used to its fullest potential. There are some absolutely amazing choices in design, layout, panel arrangement, angles, you name it. It is one of the most visually interesting comics I've ever read. This is a comic to include as part of an art study if for nothing else. 

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12

Publisher: Dark Horse
Publication Date: September 19, 2023
ISBN: 9781506728322 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: High School, Comicbooks, Action Adventure, Mystery, ​Dark Horse