Cosmic Detective

An excellent execution of psychedelic sci-fi noir. The lead and supporting characters pop, riffing on pulp tropes with a cockeyed humor underscored by strong artwork and lean, mean pacing. A plethora of Easter Egg nods and winks reward the vigilant reader, but are by no means necessary to go along for the ride.

If the solution to the mystery feels a little underdeveloped, that's a brief hiccup on the way to a satisfying ending. An altogether exhilarating -- although not particularly groundbreaking -- story, well executed.

I loved this from the cover through to the end of added content. The way the story flows through the artists imagination and pen, the inventive way the characters move from place to place, the blanked out ….. , and especially the scenes where the detective goes home to his family in the midst of his trauma fuelling search (that was so emotional). Come on Vol 2!!!! Thank you to Image Comics and NetGalley for the comic ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

A sci-fi noir for lovers of the weird and gritty.

I see Matt Kindt’s fingerprints all over this story! You may know Kindt’s name as the co-writer of BRZRKR, alongside Keanu Reeves (yes, that Keanu Reeves). If you liked BRZRKR’s pacing and gradual reveal of a deeper story and sci-fi elements, you’ll like this.

The book was co-written with Jeff Lemire. I was introduced to Lemire’s writing when I read, Secret Path, which he co-wrote with Gord Downie (lead singer of The Tragically Hip). The book is so impactful and heartbreaking that even seven years on, it still sits with me. Ever since then, Jeff Lemire became an auto-read for me. I love his Descender series, the standalone Sentient and Mazebook, and the two ‘seasons’ of Snow Angels. Cosmic Detective sits apart from these, although you can see Lemire’s trademark imagination, character development and top-tier storytelling shining through.

The story follows a detective, who works for a shadow-organization, as he tries to solve a murder. We are in a sci-fi noir setting, where nothing is ever as it seems. This world contains ‘gods’ or beings that have powers and are immortal, at least until one gets murdered and our detective is sent to investigate. The story moves at a great pace, the world-building is so interesting and the characters are compelling (especially the librarian!).

The illustrations elevate this story from great to AMAZING. The way David Rubín approaches the panels in this shows why some stories are best told through graphic novels. The way he captures sound (SOUND!) in this makes the story feel so quiet and then is able to ramp it up to 11. The art work is a big part of what keeps the pacing moving quickly and Rubín brings to life the cosmic-sci-fi energy in a way that will leave you feeling a little sticky (in a good way).

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for this advanced reader copy.

This graphic novel is best read right before bed, because I guarantee you will have the wildest dreams of your life.

Lemire, Kindt, and Rubin have just collaborated on one of the best graphic novels of 2023! Cosmic Detective is the creepy and unsettling detective story that I needed this year! It's gritty, dark, and the mystery will have you hungering for more!

This story follows our Cosmic Detective as he investigates a murder of a seemingly otherworldly being. Something that should not have the ability to die. What follows is a race to discover the truth and everybody seemingly has something to hide.

Jeff Lemire is an absolute master of the craft when it comes to dark and unsettling graphic novels. I think one of my favorite things about his work is how deep it goes. This is a bit of a two-pronged depth finder. The story definitely pulls you into the depths and will sink teeth into you until you finish, but it also explores the depth of the human spirit in some way. I think some of my favorite images in this particular story is how our Detective constantly finds ways to look deeper, whether he is climbing into the trunk of a car to go to the coroner, or looking through some binoculars to look into the depth of a seed. I think it illustrates some deeper meanings in this story.

This story is perfect for readers who enjoy crime procedurals, science fiction fans, and readers that just love a good mystery! Read this book!

I've learned over the years that one can never go wrong with with the comics that Image puts out. I've been a fan a long time, and was super excited to see this new one in particular: noir, detective mystery, cosmic horror? Like Ed Brubaker's Fatale or the movie 'Cast a Deadly Spell', but through a paleo-future lens, an alternate universe with a timeless present that is a mix similar to the universe of the Fallout game series, pre-nukes.

The Detective is nameless, and he works for a nameless agency investigating the strange secret world of unknowable ancient gods capable of physics and geometry that would drive a human insane. I enjoyed the design of the world a lot, it's beautiful and dark and twisted... and then the ancient gods got kind of goofy looking. It's all still very creepy but they're like the colorful love children of Thanos, Vision, and Dr. Manhattan. And the story itself is The Eternals? Marvel's Eternals? But with a noir horror bent, which I actually liked a lot.

If you're into noir detective stories and/or cosmic horror, you will absolutely enjoy Cosmic Detective. I appreciate they went blatant with the title lol And I recommend checking out the writers' and artist's other work, because they all have a lot of gems in their catalogs!

Cosmic Detective is sure pretty to look at. David Rubin's art is a cool blend of Paul Pope, Moebius, and Kirby. Things are big and dramatic and full of energy. There's a feel to this world that's palpable- and when the detective leaves the confines of normal reality the art explodes into pop art wonderfulness.

There is also a story. A god gets shot. A detective is assigned. A mystery ensues. The nature of reality is questioned. Ya know, the good stuff. And it's well written. Lemire and Kindt work well on this. I was entertained by the story.

At the end of the day, this is a cool story with really great art.

I loved this art style! It gives off noir/cyberpunk vibes throughout the entire story. Usually I don't read much sci-fi/cosmic horror but this one held my attention. I'm actually surprised how much I enjoyed it. Good story development, which isn't always the easiest with the amount of pages you have in a graphic novel/comic.

I'm looking forward to the second edition and I have suggested this graphic novel multiple times to readers looking for sci-fi fantasy.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Image Comics for an advanced copy of this murder mystery set in a city of night and rain, the victim being a presumed God, with far reaching results for the world.

"Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid." The opening line is from Raymond Chandler describing his idea of the perfect detective, always searching, always trying to save a life, willing to take a hit and be lied to in order to find the truth. I should add for this story and deal with a lot of weird stuff. Our hero(?) prowls a city at night in the rain, a classic car his chariot, solving a murder, a murder that should be impossible to commit and for the victim impossible to die. This is a story that only two writes, either at the top of their game, or messed up from whippets could write. Cosmic Detective written by Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt, authors of many great series, with illustrations by David Rubín, is a noir psychedelic mystery set among gods, men, mothers and families, with very high costs for everyone.

A detective is called to a hotel, where he finds an impossible body, as part of an impossible crime. The victim is what can only be called a God, from where no one knows, once thought immortal, the body is proof that their long life was only a rumor. As the detective begins to probe the murder, he is given an ultimatum, solve is soon, or never be involved in this case ever. The detective gains an ally, a missing detective who disappeared the last time one of these Gods were murdered. This ghost urges the detective to stop investigating, but does not tell why. Slowly a story starts to come together, involving a missing pregnant woman, drug testing, and possible the end of the world.

A very good graphic novel drawing from the works and ideas of European comics, with a lot of influence from Jack Kirby, especially his New Gods stories. The story is big, much bigger than it seems to be, covering lot of ideas, but with character development that many would not bother with. We know not the Detective' name, but he does have a family that he loves, he is not afraid of taking a punch, and will do much to try an figure out what is going on. Both writers bring different elements to the story, Kindt the conspiracy aspect and Lemire the family sense and responsibility to doing right, especially when it comes to family. The art by David Rubín is really good. A nice mix of Jack Kirby, with strange European sensibilities, and incredible backgrounds. The city looks wonderful, damp, threatening and yet exotic and unique. The story kind of drops one in, but it works well, and once the reader starts to understand it, the book is off and never stops till the end.

Recommended for fans of both writers, fans of art work that speak to the inner mind, and for readers who love their comics a little odd and off. I hope this is the first of many joint projects for all three creators as I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

The title says it all. Sure, it's a detective procedural. But that's only the opening frame. We then start to go cosmic, with a dead god and a world that is more fantastic than expected, And then we probe even deeper and find a set of Matryoshka truths, some lies, and some eye opening choices. Very satisfying. The artwork almost goes psychedelic, but stays just gritty/realistic enough to suit the story. A nice find.

Rendered in pretty stylish, energetic way, this graphic novel is a self-contained noir sci-fi story. I don't think it engaged with particularly novel themes, but it did so with style and dynamism in art storytelling that made the reading a fun experience. It's my second read by Jeff Lemire -- the first was Sentient, which I loved more because it was a more powerful story -- but on a graphic storytelling level, this was more engaging. It has a share of golden oldies nostalgia in it, bring to mind old school superheroes and some aesthetics from Back to the future.

Thanksto Netgalley for an arc of #CosmicDetective. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

*****This review is in thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy for review purposes *****
Cosmic Detective is written by Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt with art by David Rubin.

This graphic novel is brought to you from the highly successfully Jeff Lemire the creator of the hit series Sweet Tooth (which is now a television series on Netflix), Black Hammer, Gideon Falls, and countless other hit series. If that didn’t park your interest also on writing duties is Matt Kindt the mastermind behind Mind Mgmt and Bang! just to mention a select few of their work with illustrations by David Rubin who’s art has been used in Rumble and Beowulf you couldn’t ask for a better team.

Cosmic Detective came to life through a very successful Kickstarter campaign raising over 150k in a matter of days.

Cosmic Detective follows an unnamed detective who is investigating the murder of a high profile person who was thought to be unkillable. Throughout the investigation the detective discovers the truth about his world and every question answered leads to more questions yet unanswered.

Cosmic Detective has great art for the type of story it is telling with great detail. You could look at the same page frame by frame everything and still find something new.

I seriously hope the story is continued beyond this graphic novel.

Cosmic Detective should be a must own for any comic book fan or for anyone who thoroughly enjoys a good mystery.

Not for the faint of heart, "Cosmic Detective" is a dark and hallucinogenic suspense tale follows an unnamed detective as he investigates the death of god-like being and uncovers uncomfortable truths about the very nature of existence. If Terry Gilliam, Ridley Scott, Timothy Leary and Franz Kafka collaborated on an episode of the "X-Files" the result would be similar to this book, - but probably not as weird. This book makes my brain hurt, - and it feels so good !

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Image Comics, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC. Absolutely anything Jeff Lemire touches is gold in my opinion. And this hits the mark; again. I loved this science fiction cyberpunk mystery thriller about a detective whose new case maybe more than he bargained for. Fantastic illustrations and storytelling with some great ideals about underground world dominance and pesky immortal beings. And so much more. Check it out ASAP.

This was beautifully strange.

"You're weird, Daddy."

The detective is having a bad time. When the body of an "unkillable" god appears, the detective has one week to solve the case. Can he solve the crime without losing what matters most?

I genuinely enjoyed this, the dialogue was quick and fun. Visuals were gritty and interesting. A vivid story with the colour palette to match. My only real complaint is wishing it was longer. I wanted to end to be a bit more impactful, but still a great experience.

I have enjoyed every book by Jeff Lemire. Even the DC comics ones, which are more normal than most of what he creates. So I crowdfunded this one, and I'm happy to see it finally in shops.

This graphic novel is beautifully illustrated.
I'm not sure I'd categorize this as a horror book though.

Lemire's love of homage is a double-edged sword. One side of that edge is blunt–he's usually doing too much, and as a result too many of his characters are flat. But it works here because...well, reasons you have to have to read to find out, but boil down to: noir. This is a detective story first, weird second, and an homage to Kirby third. It's entertaining but, like a lot of Lemire's works as he goes on, it makes you wonder if it would be different if he slowed down. The art probably does as much of the heavy lifting in this story as the writing if not more, and a lot of the dynamic choices are great.

Original graphic novel, an epic science fiction mystery that asks: when a God is murdered, who solves the crime?

Gorgeously draw to feel like an alien landscape. Did not expect the ending but it was a fitting conclusion to a mind-bender of a story.

Science Fiction meets noir in the Cosmic Detective as the often-bloodied detective hunts down clues to find out the who, why, and how when a god is murdered.

The combined talents of Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, and David Rubin make this a riot of color and action and a great start to a new series.

Cosmic Detective is a neat little sci-fi mystery story that clearly gives nods to Jack Kirby, superhero comics, and noir detectives. The setting is vivid and interesting, and the mystery is engaging. Ultimately, a few of the concepts seemed derivative, but not necessarily in a bad way; it's hard to be original when there's so much material out there, and it felt like an homage or a rework rather than a copy! As a school librarian, I couldn't put this in our library due to cursing and sexual content, but it would be a good fit for a public library. I enjoyed the read, and would read more from these creators!

A beautifully drawn work that evokes the best of The Dresden Files. The world feels fleshed out, without getting caught up in describing every little detail. It assumes the reader is intelligent and allows us to follow along in the mystery. The content, both thematically and visual, is more mature, so some may want to be cautious in sharing it with young readers.

Writers Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt team up with David Rubin for Cosmic Detective, an excellent graphic novel that blends Jack Kirby, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Philip K. Dick and Moebius amongst others to create a cyber-noir mystery that keeps you guessing, even after you've finished reading it. I really think it could support more works in the series, but if this is it, they did it very well.

Special thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

Definitely a slow enjoyable read for me. I was trying to connect the pieces. This read in some parts like a What-If debate. The artwork is crisp. The two pages definitely work the vibe of the energy and story.
This story is basically future things where the main character is trying to investigate a weird and interesting murder. Which happily then sets you in the motion of webs of questions.
I just reviewed Cosmic Detective by Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt & David Rubín. #CosmicDetective #NetGalley

ARC provided by NetGalley

The art in this graphic novel is just phenomenal. It's honestly worth the read for the art alone. The story itself is also interesting, but that art is out of this world.

The excellent art by David Rubin blessed this good cosmic detective type story with a sense of magic and wonder. Dark, gritty, but also brightly coloured and saturated in an almost disturbing manner, Rubin brings his surreal best to the script.

I enjoyed the flow of the story, the way the mystery unravels, and the 'into the rabbit hole' type experience the protagonist is put through, as he tries to understand the unfathomable.

A well told, well made comic that deserver your attention!

eARC provided by Image Comics

Cosmic Detective is a sci-fi mystery graphic novel. The art is a creative neon explosion that had my eyes soaking in each page. The illustrations along with the story pulled me all the way through to the end. Never being able to guess what was going to happen next was part of the fun. Some vibes:

• Blade Runner
• Detective Noir
• Cyberpunk
• Fifth Element

Cosmic Detective is a science fiction Noir police procedural from the imaginations of comic powerhouses Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt. The result is something akin to a cross between Ray Chandler and Ray Bradberry. The story begins as a detective investigates a death that shouldn’t be possible. He is part of a shadow organization that investigates and cleans up after beings that are so powerful that they remain nameless through most of the story, their name literally redacted from the text with black boxes instead of print. The art is psychedelic, the mood swinging from Noir to cyberpunk. The plot may be a bit trite, but the execution is perfect.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read. Jeff Lemire's story is very creative and new. Not to mention, Matt Kindt's art is spot on for this story.

Drawing inspiration from the work of Jack Kirby (New Gods), Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, Essex County) and Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT, Dept H) join with artist David Rubin to create their own twist on a Dark City like science fiction noir. A god like being is found murdered. An unnamed detective is tasked to solve it, but will his investigation cost him his sanity, his family or everything?

The art, by David Rubin alone is a treat, with many full page spreads and effort given to embed sound queues into the narrative (for example he eats an apple on the first page and we're provide chewing and biting noises). Rubin's style reminds me strongly of Paul Pope's (Battling Boy) This is a world where barriers are fluid, our detective is able to transport by smoking a magical cigarette, to enter portals embedded in his car. He carries a phone that can serve to stun the uncooperative or function as a smart phone communicating or sending information to others in his organization. Scenes bounce from hotels, bars, cafes in town, to secluded rural safe houses, the organization's resources like a secret filled archive, forensic lab or meeting space and a well-known American landmark.

Plot wise, it's a combination of Kindt's muse of getting to the deeper conspiracy behind the murder or disappearance with the hidden otherworldly nature of reality that is a common theme in Lemire's work. That said, it is also a little more straightforward to some of Kindt's work where the reader doesn't have to puzzle out as much for themselves. For Lemire it is not as directly spooky and twisted, but is cosmically troubling, like a Galactus. More Underwater Welder, less Gideon Falls.

It is a standalone volume, at least at present, and like any series by these creators, rewards rereading with attention paid to smaller details.

It was a little more graphic at times than I was expecting but it was good. The plot was unique and kept me guessing and the characters were different and interesting.

The Cosmic Detective is about a nameless detective who is sent out to investigate the death of a space god. I don't want to give anything away, so check out the synopsis from the publisher.

First off, the artwork is phenomenal. The artwork really brings out the noiratmosphere and has a psychedelic energy to it. The story held my interest and the pacing is good. I would recommend this to those who like science fiction and noir.

My thanks to Image Comics, Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, and David Rubin, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

This book had very cool and interesting art. I loved the layouts, the way that the entire spreads had motion to them. The colors were so vibrant and luscious. However, the story was a bit disappointing. It started out promising, but then went in a direction that was simultaneously too bleak and more expected than I was hoping for. This one did not particularly speak to me.

I enjoy the works by Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt so when I Saw this I had to download. Good solid volume. I wonder if there is going to be a part two to this story.

If you’re a fan of futuristic cyber-crime, then this graphic novel is for you. Reminiscent of DC Comic’s Doom Patrol and Lemire’s Black Hammer, the story begins with the murder of a god that will take the main character on a perplexing journey for answers. Between the well-written plot and the amazing artwork, you’ll find yourself captivated the whole way through.

My only concern was the likeness between Lemire’s Humphries and Negative Man from Doom Patrol. Before knowing this was self published, I assumed it had been an intentional crossover. Upon further investigation, I did find that Lemire had previously submitted concept art for Doom Patrol which was turned down. So, perhaps this was another chance at life for the rejected hero.

Look, you hand me something with Matt Kindt's name on it, I'm gonna read it, that's just the rules.

For his latest graphic novel, Mr Kindt has teamed up with a dream team of fellow writer Jeff Lemire (who's famous for a lot of acclaimed stuff I haven't yet read. I'm SORRY, I don't have all the time in the world and I'm doing my best to cover what I can) and artist David Rubin. And can I say that, knowing I was gonna enjoy the story because of who was writing it, I could really sit back and savor the art as I went along?

Small caveat: I had to read this on Adobe Digital Editions, which as we all well know is hot garbage. No way to properly view two-page spreads, so I had to do a lot of squinting and scrolling in an attempt to capture what the creators had envisioned for readers. Publishers Stop Putting Money In The Hands Of Adobe 2023/2024 Challenge.

Anyhoo. The book opens on a quasi-futuristic, not quite our world but close, urban street view, as The Detective reports to a crime scene. He's not a police or city detective, but works for a special Agency. The murder vic doesn't fit the standard profile, due in large part to the fact that the vic isn't human and isn't supposed to be able to die.

And that's pretty much all I can tell you about the plot of this incredibly clever subversion of the immortal beings theme and their relationship with humanity. It's smart and thoughtful and unafraid to tackle the concept of our place in the universe, with really astounding art and diverse representation. I loved the ending, even if it's something of a downer, as it fits perfectly with the themes being tackled here.

Want a comic book that will make you reexamine not only your entertainment but also your entire existence? Matt Kindt always has your back.

Cosmic Detective by Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt & David Rubín was published October 3 2023 by Image Comics and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9781534399457">Bookshop!</a>

‘When a god is murdered, who solves the crime?’

My thanks to Image Comics for a temporary digital review copy via NetGalley of ‘Cosmic Detective’ written by Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt and illustrated by David Rubín.

This was a fascinating graphic novel that combines science fiction with hard-boiled crime noir. It is dedicated to Jack Kirby and reflects his creative style.

In a dark and grimy city an unnamed detective is sent to a crime scene. He realises that the victim is a space god (an eternal) and subsequently this murder threatens to tear apart the fabric of reality. As he continues to investigate, the mystery deepens and the detective’s mind begins to crack under the revelations. The detective’s bosses are certainly rather intimidating in their own right.

Rubin’s artwork was extraordinary throughout. He contrasts the grittiness of the cityscape with the neon-bright psychedelic scenes as the detective encounters the eternals. The action as portrayed felt very visceral.

The graphic novel concludes with a series of character sketches. I especially liked the drawings of various races of eternals that contrasted their heights with that of the detective. There was also a couple of pages of the script that Rubin had worked from.

Overall, I was impressed with ‘Cosmic Detective’, finding it quite retro in style. It was quite a visual experience.

An interesting take on the Detective story. Engaging and the illustrations weren't amazong but still very colorful and expansive and provided a great sense of the world.

The story really pulls you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat!

I'd heard rumblings of this "Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt's take on Blade Runner" graphic novel, so I put in the request. The premise about an invincible being dying is intriguing, but what kept me reading is David Rubín's artwork--it's beautiful and captures the emotions and unique personalities of each character while also moving the story along well (though I still had to reread a few pages to understand what was happening). I'll keep an eye out for the next installment!

Beautiful illustrations to accompany a decent SF noir detective story. I don't want to give away any of the storyline but if you like a hard-boiled detective story with a twist this will be right up your alley. I enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

The artwork was excellent, the story just decent. I think this book would make more sense as a comic book series instead of a standalone novel. So hopefully this is just the first in a series. The story was interesting but rushed through without the time to get attached to any of the characters. It was fun for what it was though. The art really makes the book.

A seedy, dirty city. A stoic detective. A mystery beyond imagination. In a dark and grimy city, an unnamed detective gets called to a local murder, something unlikely and pretty unbelievable has occurred which sends him on a path of layered clues that will not only blow this case wide open, but his entire life. Utilising a chaotic but surprisingly effective mix of science fiction/cyberpunk and crime noir, Cosmic Detective takes the reader on a thrill ride full of top drawer surprises, reveals and epic twists in the tale that quite frankly had me dizzy at times. A rip-roaring story accompanied by artwork from some of the finest artists in the game, and it really hits the mark. An otherworldly mystery wonderfully enhanced by the artwork throughout which matched the evoked the cyberpunk retro era perfectly. A top read I highly recommend

A very fun futuristic sci-fi noir. Jeff Lemire is one of my favorite writers of the last ten years. His graphic novels are so beautifully written and the story always packs a punch.

This is a fast-paced, gritty detective story of cosmic proportions.

A cosmic detective is sent in to investigate the death of a supposedly indestructible God. As he jumps from dimension to dimension in search of answers he discovers more than he bargained for.

The artwork is beautiful and the story is unique and intriguing.

Big thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Happy Reading 📚

Hello!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Here in the States, we got a nice long weekend and without even realizing it, it was exactly what I needed. Over the weekend, I spent a lot of time reading and even was able to finish and pick up some new books to read (which is very exciting)! Recently I have been trying to read more graphic novels and manga instead of scrolling other apps on my phone during commutes, appts, etc.. So last week, I took the opportunity to read the E-ARC of Cosmic Dectective Issue 1. (Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions).

SPOILERS AHEAD

In a future society, one detective is sent out to investigate what some may consider a high-profile murder. The victim was someone who should not have been able to actually die (so this is a huge deal by itself). In order to fully investigate the murder to the best of his abilities he will have to take some unusual paths and learn about some people who prefer to keep things hidden from the public.

I was honestly shocked by how much I truly enjoyed this issue. I ended up really liking the main character and understanding his choices/struggle with this particular case. I also really enjoyed getting to see/meet his family a bit as they did factor into his choices in this case. I think I will be picking up more of this graphic novel series soon! In the meantime, this graphic novel hits shelves on September 19th, go check it out!

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

**Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

The art was great. Much more sci fi and craziness going on than I was expecting, but a great action packed story overall

Write a detective story, but make it a graphic novel, add in some comic horror, and make even the bad guys compelling. This book is GORGEOUS and interesting and fun. The artwork is stunning, and the use of color is fantastic. To emphasize action, there will be pages with lots of dark reds or dark blues, making for an emotional experience. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this.

This was a quite complex storyline but it was nonetheless very enjoyable, artwork was truly on point. Gripping read.

I received a free ARC, and this review is voluntary.

Before the review, I wanted to say how over-the-moon this experience was for me. Ever since getting ensared by Gideon Falls, I've kept a close four eyes on anything Jeff Lemire related. I'm just so grateful to be given this opportunity.

An unnamed detective finds himself thrust into a case with implications beyond his understanding. Going through the motions, we catch glimpses of this world as it unfolds, but with each new sight more questions arise. As pieces on the board shift, the detective's understanding of the case is lost in the mystery of trying to solve it. As other characters join the fold, it simply produces more confusion. Things are not always as they appear, nor are they always as they seem in this world. Attempting to remove that barrier to allow us to know can prove fatal to the mind.

This plot is driven by the desire of the detective to find answers, even when he hasn't yet learned that some things are better left not knowing. Staying true to the cosmic element, the pages of each panel pop-out with these peculiar colors, the chroma of each an illumination. A story that combines detective fiction with the embracement of the absurd. It's in this madness we find ourselves, too, wondering if we are ready to know what we shouldn't.

An interesting story of cosmic proportions. The story has great pacing and keeps up the action. It throws you in feet first, but unfolds in a way that fills you in without spelling it out for you. I couldn’t wait to see how it ended.

Two of my favorite creators, Lemire and Kindt, coming together to produce something so new and original. I loved the hardboiled futuristic story and look, I know elements of this one will stay with me. It's Blade Runner and Watchmen and yet completely not.

Thanks NetGalley and Image Comics for this arc!

3.75/5 rounded up

This was interesting. The art was really cool and detailed, the colours super vibrant(except for the children's eyes, those creeped me out haha) The story was a little confusing at times, and like I get what they were doing with blocking out the name from the beginning but I feel it would've worked a lot better for my brain to just make up a fake word or alphabet for that specific word instead, I thought it was supposed to be some sort of censor not just something unpronounceable. The story was interesting, intriguing, but just ok to me.

Cosmic Detective by Matt Kindt & Jeff Lemire is science fiction comic about a detective trying to figure out who killed a god and how it was done. This was really interesting, I think the art and the story came together to make one exciting comic.

Right away I noticed the really unique art, which was done by David Rubín, and I fell in love with the colors and the style. The story had it's common tropes, but I think the story was still interesting. I would read this again for a second time to see if I missed anything during my initial read, but I'm not sure if I'd read this a third time.

Overall, I really enjoyed this comic! I'm not sure if it's supposed to be a stand alone or if it's going to be a series, which is fine because I liked it for what it is. I'm giving this 4 out of 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc I received <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">[NetGalley.com]</a>

I love cosmic books. It is my favorite genre and this definitely scratched an itch I had for a while for something new. I didn't realize that this would be a comic but I am still happy with what I read. This sense of dread and wondering who you can trust. While also wondering if doing a good deed will come back to bite you makes me excited for what is next.

The story itself is fast-paced and can be read quickly, but I'm personally doing a slooooow re-read to take in the beautiful art style. It's so expressive and atmospheric, imbuing the whole story with retro sci-fi vibes.
Kudos to David Rubín, amazing work!

Writers Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt team up with David Rubin for Cosmic Detective, an excellent graphic novel that blends Jack Kirby, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Philip K. Dick and Moebius amongst others to create a cyber-noir mystery that keeps you guessing, even after you've finished reading it. I really think it could support more works in the series, but if this is it, they did it very well.

Special thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

I really liked the coloring. Some of the artwork gets crazy looking, and I think they did a good job with depicting alien type stuff. The story was interesting and I liked the twist at the end.

This was such an exciting graphic novel. The world it takes place in could very easily be grim and imposing, as a noir detective novel ought to be, but the illustrations were colorful and vibrant. The landscapes were beautiful even in their dark and urban settings. The illustrators definitely used color and contrast in the perfect ratio to bring this world to life. The best kind of Sci-fi/Noir crossover. Every page was so much fun to look at.

The Detective, the main character was hard boiled but gentle when the plot asked it of him. He reminded me vaguely of Columbo, mostly because of the way he interacted with his family. A kind and hopeful detective in an unsettling, noir setting.

What really grabbed me where the fun ways the text on the page was used to progress the plot. I loved the use of [Redacted] in the text, and the code language, as well as the way the plot flowed across the page, drawing your eye as the Detective moved through the scene.

I highly recommend this book. It was a fun, quick read.

"Cosmic Detective" is a trippy, gorgeously realised science fiction mystery comic from the genius writing duo of Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt, with stunning artwork by David Rubin. Initially following standard detective fiction conventions, the story begins to unravel in the way that the very best works of Lemire and Kindt do; before long we are faced with the titular cosmic-ness and things continue to become more outlandish and mad-cap from there. The imaginations of both Lemire and Kindt are unparalleled and when they work together, the end result is almost always a fantastic experience. And that's just what "Cosmic Detective" was. David Rubin's artwork blends cartoonish line work with realistic and gruesome imagery - and that's before the cosmic elements even come into play; and it is through those cosmic moments that Rubin really steals the show. Endlessly inventive and stunning to behold, the visual storytelling on display here is outstanding.

The art is beautiful, gritty and colorful. This story has a fast pace to it but I enjoyed the artwork so much that I slowed down my reading to take in all of the art's details. I was invested in the case being solved but the detective's personal journey really made this story much more of a personal reading experience. I will be reading more from Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt. And I am a new fan of David Rubin's art. This was a 5 star read.

I received an eARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.