The New Deadwardians #3

Written by Dan Abnett
Art by INJ Culbard

Dan Abnett's historical fantasy murder mystery series is very interesting.  He spent the first two issues of this eight-issue mini-series establishing the rules for his society.  Britain is divided between zones, with the posh Zone A reserved for the Young - the upper-class, who have taken 'the cure' and become vampires, and Zone B, where the Bright, the everyday humans who make up the toiling class live.  There is constant threat of attack by the Restless - zombies - who shuffle around the edges of the zones.

Until I wrote that paragraph, I hadn't noticed that this is a comic about the Young and the Restless.  Sometimes it takes me a little while...

Anyway, in this issue, our Chief Inspector protagonist, on the case of the first actual murder Zone A has seen in decades, travels into Zone B, searching for a particular Young.  He is escorted by an officer who clearly has some thoughts about the class system, but doesn't say much.  He is taken to a brothel that the suspect has been known to frequent, where he engages in an interesting conversation with one of the girls.

This series is on a bit of a slow boil, but Abnett keeps the dialogue sharp and the world-building compelling enough to hold up entire issues on its own.  I find myself increasingly curious about this world he's created, and I'm enjoying Culbard's artwork a great deal.  This is a good series.