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Dept. H #2
Dept. H, Volume 2: After the Flood
Collecting: Dept. H 7-12
Six miles below the surface of the ocean, Mia has to solve a locked-room murder mystery before the crime scene is completely flooded. As the crew tries to save the Dept. H base from destruction, some of them start to take matters into their own hands. But the bottom of the ocean is full of unknown dangers, and with time running out, rescue is almost impossible.
From New York Times bestselling author Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT, PastAways, Superspy)!
Written and Drawn by Matt Kindt, with colors by Sharlene Kindt.
Intricate mystery stories perfect for any fan of crime and sci-fi fiction!
A complete arc: a perfect jumping-on point for new readers!
Six miles below the surface of the ocean, Mia has to solve a locked-room murder mystery before the crime scene is completely flooded. As the crew tries to save the Dept. H base from destruction, some of them start to take matters into their own hands. But the bottom of the ocean is full of unknown dangers, and with time running out, rescue is almost impossible.
From New York Times bestselling author Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT, PastAways, Superspy)!
Written and Drawn by Matt Kindt, with colors by Sharlene Kindt.
Intricate mystery stories perfect for any fan of crime and sci-fi fiction!
A complete arc: a perfect jumping-on point for new readers!
168 pages, Hardcover
First published July 18, 2017
2 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
January 16, 2018
I keep seeing this showcased as a murder-mystery, but if that's the case Matt Kindt has forgotten about the mystery of Mia's father's murder. Every time Mia even thinks about investigating it, she gets distracted by something else. The bulk of this volume is discovering the crew's backstories while Mia and Roger are trapped and the crew are trying to make repairs. The story isn't bad, it just takes so long for it to go anywhere.
July 31, 2017
The second volume (of three) of this mystery/thriller by the author of the Mind Mgmt series. This is a volume mostly concerned with exposition, with backstory on the characters/suspects in the underwater lab that is on the eve of destruction, apparently sabotaged by someone from within. This is in part a murder mystery, where a woman, Mia, is assigned to discover who murdered her father, the lead underwater scientist of Dept. H (depth, water, get it??!).
In addition to being a mystery, this is also an environmental thriller. We get more background on just why it is humans are down in the very deep sea, exploring it rather than space. The main idea seems to be that the keys to human survival, the answers to our problems, exist right here, not out there. And how are things above the water right now? Well, this is a near-future science fiction story, so things are really bad, just to say. The environmental mystery is about exploring the answer to the question: What is the H virus (Dept H, remember) and is there a possible cure? Great art, colored by Sharlene Kindt, and as usual increasingly complex story (but not as complex as Mind Mgmt) by Kindt. I'm a big fan.
In addition to being a mystery, this is also an environmental thriller. We get more background on just why it is humans are down in the very deep sea, exploring it rather than space. The main idea seems to be that the keys to human survival, the answers to our problems, exist right here, not out there. And how are things above the water right now? Well, this is a near-future science fiction story, so things are really bad, just to say. The environmental mystery is about exploring the answer to the question: What is the H virus (Dept H, remember) and is there a possible cure? Great art, colored by Sharlene Kindt, and as usual increasingly complex story (but not as complex as Mind Mgmt) by Kindt. I'm a big fan.
July 10, 2018
It's been so long since I read volume one that I was worried that I wouldn't be able to follow this. Fortunately, it all came flooding back (see what I did there?)
A murder in a closed environment, an undersea research lab … and, complicating things, someone--possibly the murderer--is sabotaging the lab, endangering the lives of all. Oh, and Mia, the woman investigating the crime, is the daughter of the victim. No pressure (Sorry. Can't resist.)
Kindt loves to tackle subject matter rife with paranoia. A submarine base filled with unstable personalities is bursting with possibilities, and he wrests every iota of drama from the situation. Tempers fray as the water level rises. And, just when it seems that escape is nigh … but you’ll just have to read this and find out for yourself.
Kindt’s artwork continues to impress. There's a wealth of thought and detail in these pages, more than appears on the surface (sorrynotsorry.) I especially love the rising water level at the edges of the page telling us which chapter we’re in. I see that there are apparently two volumes left in this series. Looking forward to how it all washes out (wink.) Recommended!
A murder in a closed environment, an undersea research lab … and, complicating things, someone--possibly the murderer--is sabotaging the lab, endangering the lives of all. Oh, and Mia, the woman investigating the crime, is the daughter of the victim. No pressure (Sorry. Can't resist.)
Kindt loves to tackle subject matter rife with paranoia. A submarine base filled with unstable personalities is bursting with possibilities, and he wrests every iota of drama from the situation. Tempers fray as the water level rises. And, just when it seems that escape is nigh … but you’ll just have to read this and find out for yourself.
Kindt’s artwork continues to impress. There's a wealth of thought and detail in these pages, more than appears on the surface (sorrynotsorry.) I especially love the rising water level at the edges of the page telling us which chapter we’re in. I see that there are apparently two volumes left in this series. Looking forward to how it all washes out (wink.) Recommended!
April 21, 2020
Tohle je fakt laskomina jak hovado. Matt Kindt mě baví, jak scénářema, tak kresbou. Badatelé a vědci jsou zajímavě pojatý postavy, celé to působí neskutečně klaustrofobicky a stísněně (což jsou možná synonyma). Atmosféra je parádní a hnusná Lumírovská kresba tomu dodává ten správnej feeling, jak se říká. Doporučuju s čistým svědomím všem, kdo má rád detektivky a trošku toho scífka.
November 20, 2017
Will the crew survive the underwater seabase sabotage?
You've got an entire installment to find out.
That's all that happens in this one, well, that and plenty of expository backstory for various characters because what else do you do while waiting to possibly drown?
This one didn't stick with me like the first. The story and illustrations continue to be mediocre and that sense of tension I belatedly realized I was carrying after reading volume one didn't happen to me at all with this volume.
I'm hoping this is only a three-book set and that the next one finishes the story because I don't think I want to deal with another volume of blathering. I have ideas, I want to know if they're right and all this dicking around isn't building tension.
You've got an entire installment to find out.
That's all that happens in this one, well, that and plenty of expository backstory for various characters because what else do you do while waiting to possibly drown?
This one didn't stick with me like the first. The story and illustrations continue to be mediocre and that sense of tension I belatedly realized I was carrying after reading volume one didn't happen to me at all with this volume.
I'm hoping this is only a three-book set and that the next one finishes the story because I don't think I want to deal with another volume of blathering. I have ideas, I want to know if they're right and all this dicking around isn't building tension.
November 25, 2018
Reminds me a bit of Mind Mgmt in that there appears to be about enough story for one really good volume, but it's stretched out interminably. The idea of a locked room mystery in an underwater seabase was a good one, but this volume really doesn't do much to push that mystery forwards. Instead, we get a bunch of exposition/backstory on each member of the crew, which really doesn't add up to much. I love Kindt's artwork, but it really needs to be in service of a stronger story for it to work.
October 2, 2018
Another wonderful series from Kindt. These seems more together than Mind MGMT but not as wacky.
Looking forward to the next volume.
Looking forward to the next volume.
April 18, 2017
The second volume is primarily defined by exposition, getting the lowdown on many of the characters/suspects in the underwater lab. At times these opportunities for character background seem too obvious, but it works, nonetheless.
June 2, 2018
Heavy on exposition and background, light on plot development. Still beautiful and interesting, but not as compelling as the first volume.
April 21, 2021
Whoa shit!
December 12, 2017
While not as surprising or rich in story as the first volume, this is still a hefty book containing deep sea exploration, a mysterious viral outbreak, an Abyss-like sense of entrapment and doom, fascinating technology and a heck of a cliffhanger. It all harkens back to European comic book tradition (with very clear hommages to Blake and Mortimer among other things). The story in the last volume was mainly linear and went outside of the base to a mysterious cave, here the characters are trapped in a slowly filling complex, that is probably sabotaged. Mia spents her time cooped up with Roger and asks him about the other expedition members, one of whom she knows killed her father. Their stories are all fairly engaging, and I liked a subplot about the green hole in Belize. Some people do not like the art style. But I like it as it fits the raw story telling. This would not work with glitzy polished comic book art, it works best when the details are left to the imagination.
May 21, 2021
This volume of Dept H is mostly composed of backstory for our cast. It was an interesting way of exploring not only the characters, but the overall story as well. We get a clearer picture of our murder victim, Henri. His life, his mission, and his personal relationships with each of the cast was explored in this volume.
But whenever there is a volume where backstory is explored, the main story can feel a bit stalled. And that is the case here. Don't get me wrong, there was a lot of info here, and info that I'm sure we will reference back later on, but the main point of the story isn't really touched on. There is almost no forward movement in this volume except for the last issue.
I did enjoy the volume, because it gives more context to the overall story, but I did have that feeling of "c'mon get on with it". The murder mystery is almost not a priority at this point.
Look forward to exploring the mystery further in the next volume.
But whenever there is a volume where backstory is explored, the main story can feel a bit stalled. And that is the case here. Don't get me wrong, there was a lot of info here, and info that I'm sure we will reference back later on, but the main point of the story isn't really touched on. There is almost no forward movement in this volume except for the last issue.
I did enjoy the volume, because it gives more context to the overall story, but I did have that feeling of "c'mon get on with it". The murder mystery is almost not a priority at this point.
Look forward to exploring the mystery further in the next volume.
November 21, 2017
Dept H Vol 2 suffers a bit from middle-book syndrome. The crew are trying to escape the sabotaged undersea research station, but of course many things go wrong along the way. Meanwhile, readers are given some background on each of these characters. I am sure this information will pay off in the future, but for now it keeps the narrative at a slow burn when I just want to know more about what's going on right now!
December 26, 2024
4/5 - Graphic Novel
2/5 - Science Fiction
2/5 - Characters
2/5 - Story
2/5 - Rating
2/5 - Science Fiction
2/5 - Characters
2/5 - Story
2/5 - Rating
October 11, 2022
3 stars. I thought this one might start tying up some loose ends from the first, but it presented more questions.
February 1, 2018
[This review is for the first two volumes]
It's probably not fair to review most anything by Kindt when he's first laying out his story. He is masterful at weaving dissonant threads together to produce a massive narrative tapestry, but it often just looks like a mess in the beginning. Two volumes into his "deep sea scifi" epic, and it still feels like we're getting background on the characters. Kindt is just setting the stage. It's all good stuff, and there's mystery, and action, and suspense, but it's hasn't come together yet. I'm all in, and excited to see where it's going, especially with the cliffhanger at the end of volume 2, but you should probably not make any decision about whether or not to read it based on my review at this point.
I LOVE the setting, and I love Kindt's creative original sea animals and the concept behind the deep sea suits. I've not yet been disappointed by one of his stories, and I don't anticipate it anytime soon.
It's probably not fair to review most anything by Kindt when he's first laying out his story. He is masterful at weaving dissonant threads together to produce a massive narrative tapestry, but it often just looks like a mess in the beginning. Two volumes into his "deep sea scifi" epic, and it still feels like we're getting background on the characters. Kindt is just setting the stage. It's all good stuff, and there's mystery, and action, and suspense, but it's hasn't come together yet. I'm all in, and excited to see where it's going, especially with the cliffhanger at the end of volume 2, but you should probably not make any decision about whether or not to read it based on my review at this point.
I LOVE the setting, and I love Kindt's creative original sea animals and the concept behind the deep sea suits. I've not yet been disappointed by one of his stories, and I don't anticipate it anytime soon.
July 31, 2017
The end of volume one left the entire remaining cast in a perilous position (as many a good action serial does) but rather than notch-up the action for volume two, we instead get an extended investigation of the remaining characters' motives. It's almost all-tell, no show, as every issue is the story of two characters whose history and motivations are explained in exposition boxes while we see their actions in their current environments. It shouldn't work. When your two main characters are at the brink of death, you rarely succeed when they spend four entire issues trying to determine who put them in the position. But it totally did work for me.
Matt and Sharlene Kindt's art is perfectly haunting for this story. If you're looking for a good sci-fi mystery with believable characters, I highly suggest this series.
Matt and Sharlene Kindt's art is perfectly haunting for this story. If you're looking for a good sci-fi mystery with believable characters, I highly suggest this series.
May 15, 2022
(Spoiler review for the series as a whole) 2.5/5
Dept.H is a mixed bag for me, equal parts enjoyable and underwhelming. This was the first Kindt story I have read (although I have MindMGNT sitting on the shelf waiting to go, too. The book is described as a murder mystery in a remote scientific station at the bottom of the ocean, which sounds rather enthralling, given the original and claustrophobic setting and limited number of suspects. The only problem with this is, for me, the whodunnit aspect of the story very quickly takes a backseat and becomes an average action thriller, albeit one rather light on the action and the thrills. The world's most brilliant scientist is found murdered at this underwater station, and the main character, Mia, is sent down to investigate. Their is a twist early on in the story about why the main protagonist wanted to investigate this crime which I wont spoil here, although it only added to the intrigue available to the writer. But everything from here on in rings rather hollow, with the main thrust of the story being to escape the station, along with a somewhat flimsy and unnecessary plot to save the world. The main impetus of the story should have been the solving of the murder. Little else needed tacking on, on top of that. The evil corporation and the world on the brink of destruction was not necessary here. It just seemed to distract the author, turning it into the run of the mill escape type scenario which it became. There are also some fantastical type creatures that needed significant explanation. They strangely come and go from the story as if they are a completely normal part of the world. it certainly left me scratching my head and wanting answers that weren't coming. The solving of the crime quickly becoming an afterthought that ambles along to an unsatisfying conclusion. I can't even remember who it was, such was the disappointing nature of it all, and I only read it a few months ago.
Kindt's art is an acquired taste and I certainly haven't learned to like it. A story such as this needed the artwork to do a gat bulk of the story telling, at least when you absorb Kindt's prose here, although Kindt's scratchy, somewhat unappealing characters do nothing to raise up the story through the pictures, but frequently drag it down. I would love to have Kindt's artistic abilities, it would make it so much easier to get my own writing out there, but a better artist would have inevitably captivated the reader so much more, giving the story greater breadth and appeal. Most of the characters were unlikeable. Again, maybe the unappealing art and direction the story took left me biased against them, but I didn't feel overly connected to, or concerned for any of them by the end. Even the main protagonist rang hollow, despite all the reasons the story threw at me to the contrary.
In summation, there is a very decent idea here, which sadly went in a direction that was not foreshadowed, nor one that I wanted. The praise littered on the back of this book is a little mystifying to me, as even if you are more forgiving of the stories direction and art than I am, when I put on my 'objective as possible pants', it really isn't anything to get that excited about. Check it out if you want, although I won't be returning to this in the future. 2.5/5
OmniBen
Dept.H is a mixed bag for me, equal parts enjoyable and underwhelming. This was the first Kindt story I have read (although I have MindMGNT sitting on the shelf waiting to go, too. The book is described as a murder mystery in a remote scientific station at the bottom of the ocean, which sounds rather enthralling, given the original and claustrophobic setting and limited number of suspects. The only problem with this is, for me, the whodunnit aspect of the story very quickly takes a backseat and becomes an average action thriller, albeit one rather light on the action and the thrills. The world's most brilliant scientist is found murdered at this underwater station, and the main character, Mia, is sent down to investigate. Their is a twist early on in the story about why the main protagonist wanted to investigate this crime which I wont spoil here, although it only added to the intrigue available to the writer. But everything from here on in rings rather hollow, with the main thrust of the story being to escape the station, along with a somewhat flimsy and unnecessary plot to save the world. The main impetus of the story should have been the solving of the murder. Little else needed tacking on, on top of that. The evil corporation and the world on the brink of destruction was not necessary here. It just seemed to distract the author, turning it into the run of the mill escape type scenario which it became. There are also some fantastical type creatures that needed significant explanation. They strangely come and go from the story as if they are a completely normal part of the world. it certainly left me scratching my head and wanting answers that weren't coming. The solving of the crime quickly becoming an afterthought that ambles along to an unsatisfying conclusion. I can't even remember who it was, such was the disappointing nature of it all, and I only read it a few months ago.
Kindt's art is an acquired taste and I certainly haven't learned to like it. A story such as this needed the artwork to do a gat bulk of the story telling, at least when you absorb Kindt's prose here, although Kindt's scratchy, somewhat unappealing characters do nothing to raise up the story through the pictures, but frequently drag it down. I would love to have Kindt's artistic abilities, it would make it so much easier to get my own writing out there, but a better artist would have inevitably captivated the reader so much more, giving the story greater breadth and appeal. Most of the characters were unlikeable. Again, maybe the unappealing art and direction the story took left me biased against them, but I didn't feel overly connected to, or concerned for any of them by the end. Even the main protagonist rang hollow, despite all the reasons the story threw at me to the contrary.
In summation, there is a very decent idea here, which sadly went in a direction that was not foreshadowed, nor one that I wanted. The praise littered on the back of this book is a little mystifying to me, as even if you are more forgiving of the stories direction and art than I am, when I put on my 'objective as possible pants', it really isn't anything to get that excited about. Check it out if you want, although I won't be returning to this in the future. 2.5/5
OmniBen
September 21, 2017
A good follow up to volume 1 that contains a bit of back story for some of the crew. We start the book after the big mystery explosion that threatens the crew. Mia is still looking for her fathers killer and his partner Roger shows us some of the history of the crew. Q is the oil rig foreman who blames himself for the accident. Lilly was in love with Mia's dad and was suspected for not maintaining safety on the oil rig. Bob is some crazy ex-military bad ass killer who was hired at the green hole. Aaron the the former student who challenged Mia's dad. We also learn Roger was in love with Mia's mom. After some repairs the crew make for an escape but learn some startling news. Ill read vol .3 but once again the art is crap and I wish they cared about what it look like.
spoilers below
The crew try to escape but learn they are quarantined beacuse that ass Jerome exposed them all with those purple jelly virus shit. Luckily Aaron killed Jerome and saved the last vile of the cure. but they are all forced back to the lab
spoilers below
The crew try to escape but learn they are quarantined beacuse that ass Jerome exposed them all with those purple jelly virus shit. Luckily Aaron killed Jerome and saved the last vile of the cure. but they are all forced back to the lab
May 7, 2020
Dept. H's deep sea muder-mystery is shelved for an exploration of the cast's backstories while the underwater station fails around them. In this second volume the situation becomes dire for the expedition team as Mia is forced to put her investigations on the backburner as obvious sabotage puts everyone's lives in danger.
Continuing off the first volume; this deep sea crew is trying valiantly to stave off the ruptured hull and leaks. We get a lot of backstory for practically everyone; which was nice as it let me connect with the characters more but it did make the imminent threat feel less oppressive. There's an interesting revelation helping this series veer even more into grounded sci-fi territory that piqued my interest enough to continue on to the third volume. Kindt's art is fitting in my opinion; although some find his style to be a bit off-putting.
If you enjoyed the first volume, the second does a solid job of continuing to draw the reader in to this underwater setting and multidimensional cast of characters.
Continuing off the first volume; this deep sea crew is trying valiantly to stave off the ruptured hull and leaks. We get a lot of backstory for practically everyone; which was nice as it let me connect with the characters more but it did make the imminent threat feel less oppressive. There's an interesting revelation helping this series veer even more into grounded sci-fi territory that piqued my interest enough to continue on to the third volume. Kindt's art is fitting in my opinion; although some find his style to be a bit off-putting.
If you enjoyed the first volume, the second does a solid job of continuing to draw the reader in to this underwater setting and multidimensional cast of characters.
November 16, 2022
Things continue to escalate in this second volume of Dept. H. The mystery at the center of everything remains as puzzling as ever while the danger increases. Whoever is responsible for the murder appears to be actively working against the group with additional acts of sabotage plaguing the underwater facility.
But this volume tries to give us time to get to know our "suspects" better through timely info-dumps nicely positioned as flashbacks. We're still a part of this investigation and knowing how Kindt crafts his stories, we probably stands decent chance of figuring out the who did it alongside our protagonist/s.
Onward into the depths for now as there are two more volumes for me to work through.
But this volume tries to give us time to get to know our "suspects" better through timely info-dumps nicely positioned as flashbacks. We're still a part of this investigation and knowing how Kindt crafts his stories, we probably stands decent chance of figuring out the who did it alongside our protagonist/s.
Onward into the depths for now as there are two more volumes for me to work through.
November 16, 2023
After I've read Volume 1 to which I gave 3/5 stars I said that I will continue with the series because of the story and atmosphere, but I disliked drawing and lettering. Now, I'm not so sure about it. Either I got used to unique style (that definitely adds something to the story), or drawing/coloring improved. At one point it really switched from childish-like to watery if that even makes sense. Maybe due to all the switches from and to backstories of the characters that we got in this Volume.
I still like the story as much as I liked it previously, drawing improved, lettering is now easier to read, it all improved, thus I've improved the rating. Looking forward to the next issue.
I still like the story as much as I liked it previously, drawing improved, lettering is now easier to read, it all improved, thus I've improved the rating. Looking forward to the next issue.
January 6, 2018
while still slow, i actually enjoyed this installment more than the first perhaps. although we don’t solve any of the mystery, or as i had hoped hear more about the surface, we did get some interplay about the characters & this somewhat psychological side was for me intriguing & carried the story along in an interesting enough way to keep reading, & be engaged in it. i am looking forward to the conclusion & what it will bring honestly, as i also realized / heard that there will be only three trades, so this is the middle. how the last handles itself will determine if i really recommend the series as a whole, but for now i am still enjoying the progression.
February 19, 2018
So this volume fixes a problem I had with the first one, but creates a new one. We get a ton more character backstory (which is all really fascinating by the way), but it's presented to us in an info dump. This causes not only the murder mystery to be further pushed into the background (a problem I had in the first volume), but also the fact that the I did like that each character's story was overlaid on them working on the station, but I was more interested in their history so it was kind of distracting having to go back and forth between the two narratives. There are some really great story moments here, though.
April 20, 2018
Still not impressed. Deep under water detective story with detective actually making any real progress and everything goes only more mysterious or complicated. Instead we're going into history and (they wish to) psyche of characters, which in fact is far from entertaining and/or interesting. I'm still not hyped about art. On the other hand, I'm interested in the story, how it goes. If it will have soem interesting conclusion or if it all were just for nothing. I'm giving Matt Kindt next chances in other stories, but Dept. H didn't vindicated itself in two books so there is low chance the other two will help that.
March 28, 2018
2.5 Stars
I had written a review for this, a pretty long one which goodreads didn't save. So I am not going to write it again. Instead, my summarized thoughts are as follows:
-The murder mystery seems like it is on the backburner
-Until getting on here to write the review, I had no idea this was Volume Two.
-The story was interesting, but none of my questions were answered, which frustrated me.
I had written a review for this, a pretty long one which goodreads didn't save. So I am not going to write it again. Instead, my summarized thoughts are as follows:
-The murder mystery seems like it is on the backburner
-Until getting on here to write the review, I had no idea this was Volume Two.
-The story was interesting, but none of my questions were answered, which frustrated me.
September 25, 2018
Backstory time! In this second volume of the Dept H series, Mia is stuck in a control room as the deep sea station slowly collapses around her. Naturally, it's the perfect time to review the histories of the other potential undersea murderers. It's all very interesting stuff that certainly makes great strides in the "it's all connected!" sense, but it doesn't exactly further the whole mystery-solving deal. This volume is clearly setting the base for further revelations to come.
October 3, 2018
While I appreciate the artwork and the very obvious "here is the part where you get all the quick character backgrounds so you know none of them could have killed Hari" this really didn't do anything to further the plot. The twist at the end was even more weird. I'm frankly shocked they're still alive considering none of them have had clean food or water or sleep in days. I'm curious about the ending but not enough to keep reading the series.
November 11, 2018
This one was better than the first one. I am not totally sure how I feel about the main character Mia. She seems to feel one way and then 5 seconds later another. Maybe she understands her father better through all of Roger's stories about him and the crew but her choice not to go back to the surface is a total change from who she was. Not sure if I feel this is what the character she stated as would have chosen. It seemed to happen so fast too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2018
The second volume of Dept H continues the mystery but new mysteries arise. I thought the layout of this volume was too ABC, the story is still progressing and I'm still interested in the "Whodunit?". The science part of the science fiction is still very wonky to me. I find myself doubting too often. We get a ton of character work here but its done too generically. The art continues to be a hindrance at times. Overall, its still got my attention as I am eager to see where the tale goes.
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