Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead #1

 Created by: Steve Pugh & Warren Ellis

Written by: Steve Pugh

Pencils by: Steve Pugh

Colors by: Steve Pugh

Lettering by: Steve Pugh

Cover art by: Steve Pugh, Alan Brooks, Stjepan Sejic, Luis Royo, Garry Leach & Jelena Djurdjevic

Released: 2/4/09

Alright kiddies, it’s the first day of March, and I’m reviewing all of issues of Hotwire this month. So let’s get started.

Set in a futuristic city, you know things are bad when the Exorcist goes down, but Alice Hotwire is far from out for the count. The girl does know how to make an interesting first impression. The girl is spunky, she has plenty of attitude to spare, and she is gutsy. We first see her taking control of a nearby rescue helicopter. She shoots out a guy’s legs to save he and his family from a spirit that’s determined to pull him over the edge, a spirit that’s far stronger than any Hotwire has seen before. And this is a girl who has seen everything.

Ghost hunting is science, and science has rules, but what Hotwire found herself up against didn’t follow any of the normal ones, and although there’s sign of an uprising of blue light activity the police can’t spare any more manpower as there’s also an out of control riot going on. Some kids were beaten by cops, and the city is at war because of it, making it even more dangerous than normal.

When a string of impossibilities present themselves, Hotwire is forced to team with fellow detective Mobey to get to the bottom of things. These two mesh together worse than oil and water, he has some serious abhorrence running through his veins. There is a whole lot of hatred going on, but Hotwire seems to be the only one concerned with the unusual ghostly activity.

Fifty years ago the blue light ghosts began appearing, clinging to technology. They’ve found a way to stop the newly dead from coming back, and keeping spirits out of good neighborhoods. But not out of everywhere, and Hotwire keeps the peace. They use suppressor towers to keep away the blue lights, which should have kept them far away from the family, but it didn’t. There are too many factors that don’t add up the way they’re suppose to, and Hotwire may not like the reason.

The story is intense from the very beginning, and the artwork is phenomenal throughout. Many series show a fantastic cover, and then the rest of the art is just mediocre, but not here. Steve Pugh delivers shock and plenty of awe. And the story is very gripping. Hotwire is a prickly character with a great heart, and her journey is definitely going to be a wild one. If you like intense action packed comics, with a supernatural flair this one is definitely for you. Also if you just plain like good comics give Hotwire a try, and you'll fall in love, I did.

Check back on March 5, 2012 to see the review for Hotwire: Requiem for the dead #2