DO NOT DISTURB #1 (INVADER COMICS)
A Hotel has many eyes and ears on the history that passes through them.
In the case of The Argyle, their walls have stories for decades. Randall Halsey is a private investigator on search for a missing woman. When clues lead to the historic address, fate is ready to intervene. What happens when he walks through those doors is a tale that he never saw coming.
DO NOT DISTURB #1 by David Flores, Jarod Hunter Roe, Lorenzo Scaramella, & Letter Squids (Invader Comics) kicks off a brand new supernatural mystery!
Let’s take a closer look at what unfolds now.
DO NOT DISTURB #1 by David Flores, Jarod Hunter Roe, Lorenzo Scaramella, & Letter Squids (Invader Comics)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Flores & Roe put together a mystery deceptive in nature and structure. Halsey’s initial entrance to the Argyle plays out in a very traditional manner. The inner monologue builds up the gritty backdrop as he walks through the vintage hallways. Readers can easily sense the tension forming. His character fills the “always a failure” M.O. It isn’t until a masked man gets the drop on him that the story switches gears. From here, the true circumstances unveil itself into a haunting form.
Readers watch as his new stat quo takes form. Pacing speeds up a touch to get the formalities out of the way. Two crimes have happened. Same attacker, different outcomes. This only gets more complicated with Detective Oscar Moran. Their banter is well-staged as they try attempting to figure out what’s next. Readers see a spark lit under Halsey for the first time in this instance. It is also here more secrets of the hotel come to life. Roe & Flores deliver it in such an impactful way. No one will see this coming, esp. Halsey. This moves events into a strong closing. Knowing there is no escaping this circumstance, Halsey’s proclamation gives hope to finding a win in a hopeless life.
Flores opens with an ominous full page of Halsey walking into the Argyle. It conveys the dire fate that lies ahead due to its’ coloring. Once inside, the smaller panel breakdowns tease the detective skills at work. It’s just enough to walk readers alongside his viewpoint. The shift in story is easy to pick out with the change of room lighting. Usage of pinks and black leave a chilling perspective. Readers watch as an action commences which turns everything on its axis. The panel is small but hits for a monster punch.
From here, the chase for Veronica’s attack moves events to a good speed. The fallout shows the horrors that have unfold with a somber tone. Flores makes sure that there isn’t any questions about what went down. Halsey’s reactions range from shock to acceptance. These scenes get upstaged by Oscar’s calm presences. His transparency of the situation tips off the supernatural aspect of the story. This element shines with a bright two-page splash. Readers witness the scenes here with wonder fueling them. The pair have a stern conversation of what’s next. Their expressions sell the frustrations of what has happened. It leads into a switch flipping inside Halsey. This is perfectly displayed in the final page. There’s no pulling his punches here. Readers can’t help but be locked in after this panel.
FINAL GRADE: 9
What secrets will Randall Halsey discover as he finds there’s more to the Argyle than meets the eye? This is the question posed in this thrilling mystery. Flores & Roe weave a tale that’s anything but ordinary with their writing. The art showcases the vintage truths which serve a hard lesson with each tense panel. Settle in for what should be a tale readers won’t soon forget.
Let me know your thoughts on DO NOT DISTURB #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
