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The Dead Hand #1-6
The Dead Hand, Vol 1: Cold War Relics
Carter Carlson was a highly decorated operative during the Cold War. But in the fall of 1991, as the Soviet Union collapsed, Carter discovered a secret that not only changed his life...but also altered the course of history. Now, as the mysterious "Dead Hand" threatens to end the world once again, the only thing standing in its way is the relationship between four old spies, a secret town, and a special little boy.
Collects THE DEAD HAND #1-6
Collects THE DEAD HAND #1-6
160 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
October 13, 2018
The Cold War ended in 1991 – except in the small quiet town of Mountain View. A town which houses a terrifying secret: a rogue Artificial Intelligence with access to all of Russia’s nukes! The town’s inhabitants must keep the truth from the AI so it doesn’t retaliate – and then one day an outsider appears, threatening to destabilise everything and possibly end the world!?
… nope! Didn’t enjoy The Dead Hand very much. There are bits of the premise I thought were ok, like the AI with its proverbial finger on the nuclear trigger and the hiker bursting into the town was an interesting episode. Stephen Mooney’s art is pretty good too – not as good as Steve Epting’s but similar in style to his work on another (and better) Cold War spy thriller, Velvet. I also liked that the AI looked like a 10 year old boy reflecting how basic early ‘90s tech was (even though it’s unbelievably sophisticated for its time).
The characters are all too derivative though. There’s a Captain America and Sharon Carter pair, the AI is like HAL 9000, there’s a black Bond, and Harriet is the archetypical rebellious kid. There’s no real plot so the story, such as it is, ambles along without any drive and a villain is shoehorned in at the last minute, attempting to provide a dramatic conclusion that doesn’t really satisfy as it’s too rushed. The connection between the villain, the Bond character and the hiker was hopelessly contrived.
Mountain View itself was the biggest flaw. I’ll go with it being a military installation/”think tank city” (to use the phrase in Kyle Higgins’ script) because of the AI/nukes situation – but why is it designed to look like a stereotypical small American town? And how could something like that exist in the middle of the harsh environment of SIBERIA!?! And how was it that the hiker was able to so easily waltz into town like he did – given the massive security risk the AI poses, shouldn’t there be barrier after barrier to prevent strangers from just wandering in, accidentally or otherwise?? I can only suspend disbelief so much and the town went too far.
Ultimately though it just wasn’t that compelling a story and Higgins’ execution was underwhelming - The Dead Hand was dead dull!
… nope! Didn’t enjoy The Dead Hand very much. There are bits of the premise I thought were ok, like the AI with its proverbial finger on the nuclear trigger and the hiker bursting into the town was an interesting episode. Stephen Mooney’s art is pretty good too – not as good as Steve Epting’s but similar in style to his work on another (and better) Cold War spy thriller, Velvet. I also liked that the AI looked like a 10 year old boy reflecting how basic early ‘90s tech was (even though it’s unbelievably sophisticated for its time).
The characters are all too derivative though. There’s a Captain America and Sharon Carter pair, the AI is like HAL 9000, there’s a black Bond, and Harriet is the archetypical rebellious kid. There’s no real plot so the story, such as it is, ambles along without any drive and a villain is shoehorned in at the last minute, attempting to provide a dramatic conclusion that doesn’t really satisfy as it’s too rushed. The connection between the villain, the Bond character and the hiker was hopelessly contrived.
Mountain View itself was the biggest flaw. I’ll go with it being a military installation/”think tank city” (to use the phrase in Kyle Higgins’ script) because of the AI/nukes situation – but why is it designed to look like a stereotypical small American town? And how could something like that exist in the middle of the harsh environment of SIBERIA!?! And how was it that the hiker was able to so easily waltz into town like he did – given the massive security risk the AI poses, shouldn’t there be barrier after barrier to prevent strangers from just wandering in, accidentally or otherwise?? I can only suspend disbelief so much and the town went too far.
Ultimately though it just wasn’t that compelling a story and Higgins’ execution was underwhelming - The Dead Hand was dead dull!
August 9, 2019
This seems like a solid opening to a Cold War spy series, (or one that extends out of the Cold War) with two shots of gritty and one teaspoon (?) of silly. Carter Carlson was a (British) MI6 (think: Bond) operative during the Cold War. But in the fall of 1991, as the Soviet Union collapsed, Carter discovered the "Dead Hand" (be patient, I don't know what it is all about yet, either) in a secret small "American" town set in Siberia (?? I know; sounds like this could be this is one of the silly parts). Call it allusive or derivative, but Carlson makes it clear he always wanted to be Captain America, has a connection in the town with another former spy, a woman friend with romantic potential, (as Cap has), (and her daughter, who is being trained by her in espionage). So the woman seems a bit like Brubaker's Velvet, and she and Carlson are (as in Velvet) aging spies reunited one more time, let's get the old gang together, to save the world.
There's AI in the town linked through a small boy to the Soviet nuke trigger; this "boy" operates under the surveillance of Carlson. A hitchhiker (or is it "hitchhiker"?) somehow, under layers of security, wanders into the town. . . and later another MI6 operative comes into town to see why the missing "hitchhiker" hasn't been found. There seems to be trouble brewing, but about what? The potential to expose this town and upset some delicate security balance? Dunno, too early to tell, first volume, an attempt to intrigue us with intrigue.
So we revive the eighties cold war fears about nukes, which seems to be completely relevant, but why is this town American, in remote Siberia? Why a boy? I want to read more spy comics. I like Matt Kindt's work very much, I like Brubaker's Velvet, and I like the retooling (cleaning up of the racist, misogynist) Bond stories going on by Dynamite. The art by Stephen Mooney and Jordie Bellaire in Dead Hand is really good, but it isn't as a whole (yet?) in the league with the above comics. It almost feels like a Bond origin story, which I am actually going to read/review next, from Dynamite, Bond: Origin, Volume 1.
There's AI in the town linked through a small boy to the Soviet nuke trigger; this "boy" operates under the surveillance of Carlson. A hitchhiker (or is it "hitchhiker"?) somehow, under layers of security, wanders into the town. . . and later another MI6 operative comes into town to see why the missing "hitchhiker" hasn't been found. There seems to be trouble brewing, but about what? The potential to expose this town and upset some delicate security balance? Dunno, too early to tell, first volume, an attempt to intrigue us with intrigue.
So we revive the eighties cold war fears about nukes, which seems to be completely relevant, but why is this town American, in remote Siberia? Why a boy? I want to read more spy comics. I like Matt Kindt's work very much, I like Brubaker's Velvet, and I like the retooling (cleaning up of the racist, misogynist) Bond stories going on by Dynamite. The art by Stephen Mooney and Jordie Bellaire in Dead Hand is really good, but it isn't as a whole (yet?) in the league with the above comics. It almost feels like a Bond origin story, which I am actually going to read/review next, from Dynamite, Bond: Origin, Volume 1.
October 13, 2018
The Dead Hand is pretty much everything you could want from a graphic novel. It's got brilliant artwork, a gritty dark feel, and the s itself an ode to spur stories and to superheroes. It's steeped in history, namely the Cold War and its aftermath. It's heroes have themselves a long dark history. It's focus is an impossible situation and how to deal with it.
August 22, 2023
Super-intriguing graphic novel about Cold War spies and dangerous leftover technology. I don't want to say too much because there are a few twists and turns in the plot, and I don't want to spoil it. But if you're into conspiracy, spies, and computers, give this a shot. There's a dearth of good spy comics, IMHO.
It's numbered as book 1 of a series. No more was ever produced, but when I re-read it recently knowing that, it felt like a complete story to me? Not sure what the creators had intended. So I think it's fine to simply ignore that "1" on the spine and read this as a satisfying standalone that collects the whole story.
It's numbered as book 1 of a series. No more was ever produced, but when I re-read it recently knowing that, it felt like a complete story to me? Not sure what the creators had intended. So I think it's fine to simply ignore that "1" on the spine and read this as a satisfying standalone that collects the whole story.
September 3, 2018
I received this from Image Comics in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this one cold, having never heard of it before. But I am a sucker for Cold War espionage stories.
This was very entertaining and had a great twist, and a somewhat conceivable one at that. The artwork was fantastic, too.
I went into this one cold, having never heard of it before. But I am a sucker for Cold War espionage stories.
This was very entertaining and had a great twist, and a somewhat conceivable one at that. The artwork was fantastic, too.
October 27, 2018
Great espionage coldwar style story. We have a really well structured plot with likeable characters and double decoy plot lines. Alot of intrigue and mystery with this one. Very good art. Wasnt overly excited with the ending, thought it could be much better. However, I still really enjoyed it.
April 5, 2019
The first comparison that came to mind for The Dead Hand was the TV series Lost. I feel like that's a good sign, usually. Complex story-telling, unique characters, a strange setting. From the cover, you'd think it's all guns and sexy people, but that's not it at all. Well, that's it somewhat. There's some ridiculous bits, like making the characters all super-spies simply because it's cool, not because it's necessary. Case in point: Carter's silly, unexplained facemask. Looks great! Serves no purpose!
But that definitely gets at The Dead Hand's best feature: it's quite simply really fun. Stupid fun at times, and yet still a blast to read. Carter and Renae and Renae's willful dickhead daughter are holding down the fort in Mountain View, an idyllic northern city detached from the modern world. Carter and Renae being Cold War super-spies, you know something else is going on. And ohhh boy is there. I don't want to spoil the second-issue twist - rest assured, it was a doozy for me, at least.
The spy action gets more layered as other Cold War frenemies come into the picture and Renae's daughter continues to be a stupid teenager. The outcome of this first volume is less of a surprise than that second-issue twist - honestly, it felt kind of pat, like the series had to end suddenly. This being labeled as "Volume 1," I'm hoping for more Dead Hand in the future. The only real knock I have is that the art was serviceable at best. Just try to track how many times a character's facial features change. It's unsettling.
But that definitely gets at The Dead Hand's best feature: it's quite simply really fun. Stupid fun at times, and yet still a blast to read. Carter and Renae and Renae's willful dickhead daughter are holding down the fort in Mountain View, an idyllic northern city detached from the modern world. Carter and Renae being Cold War super-spies, you know something else is going on. And ohhh boy is there. I don't want to spoil the second-issue twist - rest assured, it was a doozy for me, at least.
The spy action gets more layered as other Cold War frenemies come into the picture and Renae's daughter continues to be a stupid teenager. The outcome of this first volume is less of a surprise than that second-issue twist - honestly, it felt kind of pat, like the series had to end suddenly. This being labeled as "Volume 1," I'm hoping for more Dead Hand in the future. The only real knock I have is that the art was serviceable at best. Just try to track how many times a character's facial features change. It's unsettling.
November 6, 2020
I had read good reviews of this comic, so bought the single issues, but somehow, I missed one, so ended up waiting for the trade to be published. And then it sat on a shelf for a while. To take my mind off other things, I read it last night. It wasn't what I expected, and I certainly hadn't expected to tear up at the end. This is a Cold War era espionage thriller about preventing nuclear war after the fall of the Soviet Union, with a near future science fiction twist, and it's kinda brilliant. The art is lovely, and I've been a fan of Kyle Higgins' writing for a while now. I would definitely read more of the story if there is more to read, but it stands on its own as is.
November 28, 2018
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.
For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2018/11/25/th...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2018/11/25/th...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
June 12, 2019
This is a weird mix, it ping-pongs between quite gritty, more or less realistic cold war fiction and campy, Bond-in-the-90s over the top nonsense. It's the second part of that mix that doesn't work for me.
Could've done with better pacing and a much better ending.
Could've done with better pacing and a much better ending.
December 16, 2018
There's a germ of a good idea here, but it isn't developed well, at all (think I just talked my 3 star rating down to 2). The artwork is decent, but the story is really half-baked.
September 24, 2019
This hits pretty much all my buttons...spies, cold war, alternate history, non-super-hero graphic novel. Well drawn, well written. Give me more, please.
November 4, 2018
The best cold war story this year.
I picked it up for the art, but the narrative is why I couldn't put it down. I dont even wanna give a way too much information because there are so many twists and turns. Really, if it wasnt for how the book is set up to reveal things, I wouldn't have been so interested. All you need to know is the Cold War isnt over for everyone and it can be tough to bring up a family with so many secrets.
besides that, you're just gonna have to read it to find out.
I picked it up for the art, but the narrative is why I couldn't put it down. I dont even wanna give a way too much information because there are so many twists and turns. Really, if it wasnt for how the book is set up to reveal things, I wouldn't have been so interested. All you need to know is the Cold War isnt over for everyone and it can be tough to bring up a family with so many secrets.
besides that, you're just gonna have to read it to find out.
December 6, 2018
This book really took me by surprise. Imagine 'Truman Show' except 'Truman' is a Soviet a.i. with a whole bunch of nukes while the rest of the town is filled with spies and soldiers from the cold war. There were moments in the book that felt generic yet the story would pull a twist that would throw me back into the book. Definitely worth a read.
May 22, 2021
This is an enjoyable mystery/suspense/thriller with plenty of twists and turns.
January 16, 2024
Nice art and story. I wouldn't buy unless it were cheap.
Recommend reading it.
Recommend reading it.
December 20, 2018
A end of Cold War espionage epic to end it all. As fresh as hell.
November 18, 2018
4.0 Stars. Even though this series is just 6 issue long & contained in one volume, it's pretty solid. Just a fun, quick story about some repercussions of the Cold War.
March 13, 2019
Great premise - lackluster delivery. Harriet is such a stereotype of the rebellious child that it's hard not to laugh...I'm not sure if I would recommend this to anyone.
July 28, 2021
Full of mystery and intrigue. I love the flow of the story, the cliffhangers and revelations. It reminds me of the work of Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips.
August 8, 2023
I read this yesterday after seeing someone else on my GoodReads feed recommend it (unfortunately do not recall which person). I had just read and enjoyed Gates of Gotham by Kyle Higgins, and the review highly recommended the book. I always love spy thriller comics, so it seemed like a natural fit.
Although this book has been out for several years, the underlying topic of it is alarmingly relevant in today's present day discourse about a certain topic. Because the topic is a bit of a surprise in the book, I'm going to put a spoiler tag on a few points.
In the context of this pertinent topic, I really found this book fascinating. I thought it had a good discussion of some of the issues, and the premise was very fun and engaging. Some of the older reviews note that the premise was fantastical, but unfortunately that is no longer the case. I do find the resolution a bit unrealistic, but it was definitely satisfying in the context of the story.
I definitely recommend this book for people who enjoy Cold War stories and spy thrillers.
Although this book has been out for several years, the underlying topic of it is alarmingly relevant in today's present day discourse about a certain topic. Because the topic is a bit of a surprise in the book, I'm going to put a spoiler tag on a few points.
In the context of this pertinent topic, I really found this book fascinating. I thought it had a good discussion of some of the issues, and the premise was very fun and engaging. Some of the older reviews note that the premise was fantastical, but unfortunately that is no longer the case. I do find the resolution a bit unrealistic, but it was definitely satisfying in the context of the story.
I definitely recommend this book for people who enjoy Cold War stories and spy thrillers.
August 19, 2024
I actually read the single issues but decided to write the review in the collected edition because I decided to give an overall rating of the limited series and not rate each issue.
It's the early '90s and a hiker stumbles upon a remote town in the mountains called Mountain View. As per usual with remote, hard to reach locations the locals are very suspicious and almost instantly decided the hiker was a spy. Why would mountain hicks in a one-cow town suspect a visitor to be a spy? Because That was the hook at the end of the first issue and I must say it worked on me. Remote small towns always hide secrets and this one was mind-blowing.
Unfortunately, it went from intriguing to mediocre to "just end it already!" pretty quick. Once we find out why the town exists, there was hardly any suspense. I blame the short 6 issue run. If this was a maxi series like 12 issues at least, or even an ongoing series, The Dead Hand could have been way more interesting. Give a talented writer some space to work with and see what happens. In this case, however, Higgins had to wrap it up pretty quick with a nice little bow leaving the reader (me, at least) with a "Huh? That's it?" feeling.
The characters are bland, again the short issue run was probably to blame. A two-page origin story for each of them and let's move on with the plot (such as it was). The artwork was okay. Appropriate for a spy thriller.
It's the early '90s and a hiker stumbles upon a remote town in the mountains called Mountain View. As per usual with remote, hard to reach locations the locals are very suspicious and almost instantly decided the hiker was a spy. Why would mountain hicks in a one-cow town suspect a visitor to be a spy? Because That was the hook at the end of the first issue and I must say it worked on me. Remote small towns always hide secrets and this one was mind-blowing.
Unfortunately, it went from intriguing to mediocre to "just end it already!" pretty quick. Once we find out why the town exists, there was hardly any suspense. I blame the short 6 issue run. If this was a maxi series like 12 issues at least, or even an ongoing series, The Dead Hand could have been way more interesting. Give a talented writer some space to work with and see what happens. In this case, however, Higgins had to wrap it up pretty quick with a nice little bow leaving the reader (me, at least) with a "Huh? That's it?" feeling.
The characters are bland, again the short issue run was probably to blame. A two-page origin story for each of them and let's move on with the plot (such as it was). The artwork was okay. Appropriate for a spy thriller.
March 15, 2019
Okay, why is it always that the comics I expect to like, I don't. And the ones I expect not to like, I do? This is one of them. It kinda looked "eh" to me, and then I read it was was like "whoa". There was just something about this guy's style of writing I found fit really well with the story he was telling. And the simple genius of how he represented certain aspects of the story and characters caught me off guard. Way more clever than I initially thought it'd be. And, sure, some of the characters are ridiculous, bit I kinda loved it.
The premise was really cool too: forgotten Cold War technology being hidden away from the rest of the world. I can't really say more without giving it away. And, also, that was another thing I really liked, the layer upon layer of reveals. Most of the time I feel like stories set up that way (constantly revealing the plot) don't work well. Sometimes, though, that device works very well, and I think this was one of those times. Just constant "oh, shit" moments. Loved it.
The premise was really cool too: forgotten Cold War technology being hidden away from the rest of the world. I can't really say more without giving it away. And, also, that was another thing I really liked, the layer upon layer of reveals. Most of the time I feel like stories set up that way (constantly revealing the plot) don't work well. Sometimes, though, that device works very well, and I think this was one of those times. Just constant "oh, shit" moments. Loved it.
November 3, 2018
In November of 1991, the Soviet Union is coming to an end. What happened to the things they had, the secluded cities and the nuclear weapons, and then supercomputers, is unknown to them. In this book is an action packed, blood filled, fight to the death for a special kind of AI in a supercomputer, one named Roger, who think's he's a ten year old boy.
Check out my full review here!
https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpr...
Check out my full review here!
https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpr...
April 24, 2020
Right at the end of the Cold War, the Soviet Union worked on deploying an autonomous retaliatory strike system. Unfortunately, it worked just as the Soviet Union was collapsing. And it deployed itself. So President Yeltsen brought together folks who could help keep "Roger" from deploying his nuclear weapons. So the town of Mountain View was born. Dead Hand is the tale of what happens when visitors come calling unexpectedly. Sort of a mix of Wargames with Twin Peaks. Nice plot line, good art, and engaging characters. Plus a warning to not underestimate teenagers!
December 18, 2018
Spy series set after the end of the Cold War - original and engaging
This series deals with characters trying to maintain the status quo following the end of the Cold War in a particularly unusual way. The characters are well-defined and interesting and the story moves along at a good steady pace. The end result is an entertaining and original tale which has cxlear detailed and enjoyable artwork. Very good stuff.
January 6, 2022
An intrigue high concept of a plot drives a run-of-the-mill spy thriller. Lots of setup make this story feel padded. We are given so much backstory for characters that we hardly spend any time with. I don’t know if it was originally envisioned as an ongoing series - hence all the backstory for the characters. I would have preferred the book dispense with all the backgrounds and cut this down to a leaner story.
January 31, 2024
I really enjoyed this book! This was a fun espionage thriller with some tremendous art and interesting characters. I don't want to spoil too much, but I though the premise was rather novel and that the story presents some unique takes on story elements that are typically pretty common. I most enjoyed that I didn't really know what was going to happen next until the story ended. It was full of twists and cliff-hangers to keep you reading.
October 14, 2018
A wonderful book – one of those where knowing the least about it beforehand is all for the better. So I won't go for the plot summary, I won't say it's 'this' meets 'that' – I'll just say get a copy. Not perhaps the most comprehensive review I've ever submitted – but one of the more heartfelt. Definitely five stars.
August 8, 2023
I thought this was a pretty cool story of something someone would have actually came up with during the Cold War. It's definitely going to draw a lot of comparisons to Ed Brubaker's and Steve Epting's comics. Think The Truman Show if it had to do with spies. Honestly, the less you know going in, the better. Just a cool one and done series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews