Ruse, Vol. 1: Enter the Detective
Review by Doc Ezra
Story:
Art:

Written by Mark Waid
Pencils by Butch Guice
Inks by Mike Perkins
Colors by Laura DePuy
Letters by Dave Lanphear

Published by CrossGen
Contents: Collects issues #1-6
Price: $15.95

My advice: Buy it.

Simon Archard is the most brilliant man in Partington. He'd also be the first to tell you so. He'd also just happen to be correct in this seemingly arrogant assumption. In the fine tradition of Sherlock Holmes, CrossGen brings us Ruse, a sharply-written, witty, erudite comic focusing on the exploits of Partington's favorite detective, Mr. Archard, and his partner (or assistant, depending on who you ask) Emma Bishop. Enter the Detective collects the first six issues of the series, and provides an excellent introduction to the line for interested readers. I dare say that any willing to invest the time in this collection will find themselves hungry for more of Archard's adventures.

These first six chapters serve as a basic introduction to Archard, Bishop, the city of Partington itself, and the mysterious Miranda Cross, who possesses a power to rival Emma's own sigil-bearing self. Emma, however, is constrained in her use of the power, compelled by some outside force to sit back and observe Archard's keen intellect. This leads to some real frustration for Emma, who frequently finds herself in serious peril, often right next to Simon himself. Cross has no such compulsions, and her aims seem decidedly nefarious, though her motivations are enigmatic to say the least. Towards the end of these issues, Simon's secret past begins to catch up with him when his former partner (believed dead by most of the city) reappears with some sort of vendetta against the detective, though his reasons, too, unclear.

Over the course of the six installments collected here, Simon tracks the cause of a dock worker's death to a strange narcotic being smuggled into town, deals with his old friends and contacts turning on him unexpectedly, solves the murder of one of his most trusted aides and informants, and squares off against the mysterious Miss Cross in a battle of wit and wills that has most of the city hanging in the balance. While there are several self-contained "little mysteries" from chapter to chapter, it's the slow knitting together of the larger plot that really makes the collection sing.

Waid's writing here is tight and top-notch. When the man is on, he's on. Just don't go near him when he's off. His characters are lively, interesting, and widely varied, and the dialogue (particularly that between Emma and Simon) jumps off the page. Butch Guice's pencils are as fantastic as one might expect, and DePuy's colors give the entire book an authentic feel of Victoriana while never looking dated or quaint. As a total package, the book just radiates cool, as well as a keen intelligence behind and within the plotting and characterization.

If you've ever dug on some Arthur Conan Doyle, you can't let yourself miss out on this title. Nobody else's attempted "reimaginings" or updates could touch this. Even if you've never been into Sherlock, this comic might just snag you anyway. While later issues show some stumbles in the writing department, these first six have none of those problems. Grab the collection and get hooked.