If there’s one series from Dark Horse that I’ve really continued to enjoy its Resident Alien. The newest story, The Sam Hain Mystery, has been one of the simpler tales told, but it’s also been one of the most rewarding as well. I also get the feeling that it’s the calm before the storm which only makes sense if you’re keeping up with the series as a whole. This issue wraps up the murder mystery that has been introduced to the reader through a series of coincidences. It’s led our lead character Harry to the house of one of his favorite novelists and a possible murderer. It’s a great reveal and it really has Harry thinking about what he should do with the knowledge of this murder, but I won’t spoil the outcome. The issue ends with a great set up for the next volume and man oh man… I can’t wait for it to arrive.
I don’t have much left to say about this volume. Peter Hogan has delivered an engaging story that grabs ahold of the reader until the very end and just when you think it’s going to let up… it grabs you again. What he really excels at with this series is never letting you forget Harry’s origin. It’s easy to do so since no one acknowledges how he looks.
Steve Parkhouse has become one of my favorite illustrators because of this series. He’s a fantastic visual storyteller and the way he crafts a page is dynamic. He knows when to pack a panel full of detail and when to reign it back so that the character’s expressions can do all the work. Frankly I’m running out of wonderful things to say about Parkhouse’s work, but I’ll continue to praise his high level of artwork.
This review ended up being short and sweet because what’s left to say about this mini-series? It’s been a fantastic read and I really enjoyed how the creative team switched up their usual murder mystery and really just how different each mystery is. What’s very impressive is how human all of these stories are and when you consider the lead is an alien, well it’s even more impressive that they manage to keep that feel why still making him a stranger in a strange land. Yet another impressive story from the creative team.
Score: 5/5
Resident Alien: The Sam Hain Mystery #3 Writer: Peter Hogan Artist: Steve Parkhouse Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: 3.99 Release Date: 7/29/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital