Thursday Comic

Whiteout - Greg Rucka, Steve Lieber et al.

Whiteout begins with a chunk of hard-boiled monologue from our heroine Carrie Stetko - the sole representative of American law enforcement on the entire continent of Antarctica - about 'knowing the ice' and whether or not she trusts her gut. It's a slight misfire, I think, for a book where the best aspects are the veracity of its setting and its ambiguous characterisations.

Rucka's clearly put a lot of effort into researching Antarctic conditions and politics, and he tells a plausible, well motivated mystery thriller that happens to be set in the most inhospitable and least populated region of the planet. Lieber's art fits the tone, with sparse, sketchy drawings that make good use of the white page.

Whiteout is a low-key, offbeat book that's worth looking into if you enjoy quirky stories of suspense.