NARCO #3 (IMAGE COMICS)

Marcus continues to try and clear his name for the murder of Jess, but his number one suspect, Jess’s ex-boyfriend, has an airtight alibi. As he gets more desperate to find the killer, he must expand his investigative method. Unfortunately, what he discovers will further unravel his life.

Narco #3 – Written By Doug Wagner – Art By Daniel Hillyard – Colors By Dave Stewart – Letters By Ed Dukeshire – Edited By Kevin Gardner - Published By Image Comics

Credit: Image Comics

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

STORY OVERVIEW:

Marcus is out in the park, and he is chatting with people on the message board. He has discovered that Jess’s ex-boyfriend has an alibi, so he couldn’t have been the one that killed her. This puts him back at square one, well also making him the prime suspect yet again. The people on the message board encourage him to investigate a different way and look for a motive that could lead him to a suspect. He breaks into Jess’s apartment and gets caught instantly by Detective Violet before he promptly passes out. This leads to an argument between the Detectives, as Dean believes Marcus is innocent, well Violet is unsure. Even though he has been set free once again, Marcus still feels uneasy and his friends can’t quite comfort him. Unfortunately, this feeling will get worse as Detective McCall delivers him some information that may suggest the killer is one of Marcus’ friends.

WRITING:

This issue heightens the mystery and tensions of the story. Doug Wagner opens with a swerve and closes with an even bigger swerve. In the open, we find out that the suspect that was sold to us last issue can’t be the killer because of an alibi. Wagner wastes no time clearing the suspect which makes the suspense level of the issue rise from the jump. But the bigger swerve is the one that leaves us thinking at the end. Finding out that one of Marcus’ friends may actually be a suspect, puts Marcus in a place where he feels alone. This feeling of isolation makes the reader care more for and about Marcus. Wagner is taking us on an emotional ride, while also swerving us on who the killer truly is.

The pacing problem from the last issue seems to be resolved in this issue. The story and revelations are given time to breathe, which allows for the suspense and tension to rise. As the suspense builds your attention to details in the story heightens, which makes for a way better story. Hopefully, Wagner can keep this pace and suspense up for the remainder of series.

ARTWORK:

The artwork in this issue is consistent with the series thus far. Daniel Hillyard keeps the artwork simplistic, which keeps you focused on the important images on the page. However, this also works as a good tool to lull you into a false sense of everything important is just in the forefront. This also builds suspense and makes the reader have to go back and double take at every panel. Hillyard also excels with the pass out effect he uses for Marcus. It lets the reader know that Marcus has passed out but also explains the time that has gone by since Marcus passed out. This may be important later on when we get the final reveal of who the killer really is.

The subdued colors also lend themselves to the lulling of the reader. Dave Stewart uses a lot of blues, grays, and subtle colors that make the artwork fade a bit. This effect gives the reader a reason to keep a heightened eye on the artwork to seek out any clues. Once again, this uneasiness builds a certain level of suspense.

CHECK OUT MY REVIEW OF NARCO #2

Final Thoughts:

Narco #3 brings a great deal of suspense to the story, well also bringing back a great pace. The bookend of swerves makes the mystery of this whodunit really stand out. Just when you think you have a guess on who murdered Jess, the rug gets pulled out from underneath you and just like Marcus you’re back at square one. This is a series that is perfect for any mystery lover and is fitting for anyone who just likes a good story that keeps you on your toes. Grab a copy of the first three issues if you can, and enjoy the mystery ride you will find yourself on.

FINAL GRADE: 9.4/10

Let me know your thoughts on Narco #3 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!