Touch of Death #0 and #1
By Brian Kirsten, Ray Dillon and James Taylor
Published by Brain Scan Studios
This is a solidly drawn and intriguingly written mystery/horror comic involving a strangely scarred corpse, well-dressed agents and a deadly flower.
The mystery is established in #0, when a young woman named Keli finds her touch to be lethal in fending off a thief. She disappears the next morning, with a clue leading to New York City. In #1, we see the autopsy of the thief interrupted by strange agents, and the beginning of the investigation into the disappearance of Keli. A man in New York City has some information about what has happened, beginning with a story from 1300 years ago in another part of the world.
Although there are some awkward artistic moments (I know it's hard to draw normal-looking men in normal looking business suits, and that problem pops up here during the autopsy scene), there are some very nice graphic touches as well. The splash page of #0 is very effective in setting an ominous-yet-familiar tone, the threatening storm clouds juxtaposed with the ordinary shopping cart in the foreground as we take in the sight of a supermarket at night. A clear style comes through in the depiction of the people of the story, with hints of perhaps a Charles Burns influence, especially in the #0 issue.
The strikingly elegant cover of Touch of Death #1 leads into a graphically strong issue, with convincing scenes set in the morgue, rainy bridges and alleyways, and a basement bar in New York City. Although the story so far is engaging and off to a good start, #1 ends in the middle of the story about events from centuries past and the rest of the book is filled out with material reprinted from the #0 issue. It definitely brings the narrative flow to a jarring stop, but what we get in these two issues is enough for me to recommend you seek them out if you enjoy mystery tales with a touch of horror. You can order from the Touch of Death website. Grade: 3.5/5