The Dead Hand Volume #1: Cold War Relics by Kyle Higgins, Stephen Mooney, Jordie Bellaire

A Cold War secret: a hidden town whose residents are kept in the dark about its true nature. A committee of veterans keep watch over their safety. Yet, when a lost hiker wanders down main street, he threatens to disrupt the tenure of the whole town and maybe even the world.

Carter Carlson is one of the protectors of the town of Mountain View. Once a decorated operative, he is now the town sheriff, but his responsibilities run a lot deeper. He must manage not only the people of the town, but the possibility of a nuclear strike.

An utterly original concept with fleshed-out characters, but I felt like the plot jumped a bit too quickly. The illustrations featured fantastic action scenes, and some contemplative discussion in between. I’d recommend this for a spy-novel junkie who wants to explore the genre in a different medium.

3 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Edelweiss, Image Comics, and the authors for the copy for review.