Dept. H Omnibus Volume 1

Dept. H (Single Issues) #1-12

by Matt Kindt, Sharlene Kindt (Illustrator)

From New York Times bestselling Mind MGMT creator Matt Kindt comes an exciting undersea sci-fi mystery.

Mia is a special investigator hired to uncover possible sabotage taking place at a deep-sea research station, where a bitter and paranoid crew try to keep the base functional. What she uncovers is a mind-blowing crime scene filled with suspects with terrible secrets, strange deep-sea creatures, and an impending flood!

This Omnibus Edition collects Issues #1-12 of Dept. H !

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Mystery, Science Fiction, Crime, Graphic Novels Comics, Graphic Novels Comics Manga

320 pages, Paperback

Published June 4, 2019

Reviews

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Matt Kindt's work, although more as a writer than his own scratchy artwork, which tends to be a bit hit and miss for me.

In the case of Dept. H, I felt the story is too slow and plodding. Mia returns to her father's lifework, a large underwater base, because he was murdered there. But the murder investigation never seems that urgent, and is referenced a handful of times, without any real investigating going on.

There are a lot of flashbacks, exploring the past of various members of the base crew with Mia's father. Some work better than others, but most just slow down the storytelling. The base is being sabotaged, and is falling apart around them, and still there isn't a real sense of urgency.

And when I'm not invested in the story, the art starts to suffer. Kindt has a flair for action scenes, but his characters tend to look.. well, potato-ish. There is a lot of design of technology and biology, and I get a strong whiff of Wes Anderson.

Tldr - this one's not for me.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was a really cool graphic novel. I loved the (mostly) underwater setting and all of the different characters. I am not the biggest mystery readers, so although that's clearly the plot it's not what pulled me in the most. I loved the artwork, especially the different shapes for the suits/vehicles/creatures. And the story got me emotionally, which I wasn't expecting. Now I have to read Omnibus 2 and see where things go!

[Valéria. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindt je moja slabosť a tak ani v tomto prípade nejdem s hodnotením pod 5. Stále sa držím názoru, že jeho kresba nie je hnusná ale jedinečná a neskutočne pasuje k jeho príbehom. Dept.H je zatiaľ ďalší z jeho počinov, ktoré ma neuveriteľne bavia, výborne si hrá s postavami a ich charakterom a idem rovno na ďalší diel, lebo inak ako to dať naraz to ani nejde s tým napätím, ktoré tam buduje.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going with the obvious pun here - this story is deep...
While branded as a murder mystery in an underwater lab, this is really the memoir of a man and a dozen or so people who got pulled into his wake.
Surrounding it are some disasters as the undersea base takes multiple hits as Mia continues her investigations, and some explorations into the mysteries of the deep. But even though the characters are isolated underwater, the story (through its numerous flashbacks) goes around the world and into space as it retells Hari's endeavors.
I was kind of surprised when the volume ended without resolution, setting up a cliffhanger. The story ends in the second omnibus, but I didn't really think there was enough story left to carry it through another 12 issues (spoiler for volume 2, there really is).
There's a lot going on here, and with the flashbacks not in any chronological order, it can be confusing.
The highlight is the art if you like Kindt's style; the watercolor work on top of the inks is amazing in some of the environmental work but doesn't work quite as well inside the lab.
If you're looking for a mystery story, this isn't really it - while there is a murder to be solved, it quickly gets shunted to the back of the story as more immediate disasters occur. The lifeforms found in the deep were weird and fascinating.
All told this was a heavy read leavened by some interesting art and an unresolved story, but one that made me want to continue reading.

[Sarah B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this graphic novel in the library yesterday and I was attracted to the underwater scene on the cover as I like sea stories. I had never heard of Dept. H before. So I spent the evening tonight reading the book and getting caught up in the tale.

This is a story of brave souls willing to risk their lives to save the world from a plague that is spreading across the surface. They are working six miles down under the ocean in a research station. Then there's a murder. But who did it?

Mia, a young Hawaiian woman, is sent down to investigate who has killed her father. Mia is gifted with what seems to be nearly a photographic memory. It's her gift but also her curse as she finds it hard to let go of grudges..her investigation goes rather badly as it seems the station is constantly plagued with one crisis after the other, almost all of them of deadly nature. Among the possible suspects is her own brother, her father's business partner, her former friend and a few others including a genuine mad scientist. All together she has seven suspects and no real evidence to say who did it.

I liked how we slowly learned the back story of each character. But even after learning about each one I still was rather clueless as to who the killer might be or why. I was also wondering if it might be some misunderstanding, if some sea creatures might be involved? The art work does show creatures, rather large ones at that...

The story moves at a good pace with plenty of action, danger, close calls and genuine surprises. But I don't think it really gives us enough evidence to guess who the killer is?

The story is not finished at the end of this book. I was a little disappointed about that.

The artwork was nice. I especially enjoyed the few scenes that showed underwater creatures such as a giant turtle, a giant squid and other critters. The creatures, however, really do not play a role in the story. They are in a few scenes and then seem to be forgotten (how did Raj escape from the squid??). And Mia really looks Hawaiian.

I really do not feel one way or another about this story. I do feel that there were some plot elements that were not explained, like what I mentioned above about Raj. No real explanations were given but maybe that will be in the next volume. But why show creatures and then not use them?

[The Cronker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start to the mystery I love how the story presented. Bit repetitive I suppose but I enjoyed the progression. Opinion on this volume will be greatly affected by how the mystery ends and its solved but for now I am enjoying it.

[Rex Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dept. H is presented as a locked room mystery six feet under the ocean, but they certainly don’t get to it in the first volume. It collects the first six issues of the series, there being twenty four in all, collected into four volumes. In this particular one, the mystery builds and builds, with no actual resolution and damned little investigation. The main character is swept up in event after event precluding her from looking into the actual death which brings her to a research station on the ocean floor.

Similar to Sealab 2021 without the humor, huge parts of this underground exploratory and research development center are blown up or flooded in the first six issues. We are introduced to a select number of interesting characters who, I’m sure, all have secrets of their own - which will be revealed in upcoming issues. But if you are interested in a mystery then you are in it for the long haul, because I’m sure this one won’t wrap up until the 23rd or 24th issue. The pacing is somewhat leisurely, and drifts along like the contents of the ocean.

Some people have ragged on the art, but it’s watercolors for an under sea story, which I think is fitting. We tend to see the science fiction art as more detailed and technical with lots of gauges and lights and mechanics in the background. This is not present, but the beginnings of an interesting story is in the works. If only we were given a little more. Maybe I should’ve just bought the omnibus edition.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure Matt Kindt's art style is for everyone. I think most people prefer these types of comics to look more polished, with the all-too obvious computerized coloring. But not me. I think he used Photoshop to change some color choices. But the rest is ink pen and brush followed by Sharlene Kindt's watercolors. The result is rough in spots, but mostly really nice. If I could fault it at all, I might prefer a little more detail and consistency on the character faces.

The story is great. It follows the daughter of a man modeled around Jacques Cousteau. That is, if Cousteau had also been an inventor and gone into space. There is a murder mystery. Who among Hari's closest friends and associates murdered him? A lot of time is taken giving the history of each character. Only thing that bogged down the story were those issues where Mia sat in a flooded room with Roger while waiting for someone to rescue them. I realize this was an opportunity to build characters. But it seemed to slow down the pacing a bit.

I got to the end of omni one and still can't guess who did it.

[Peter Derk · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little Steve Zissou meets...murder mystery? Locked room mystery? Family drama?

It's good. I think it might've fit into one volume, which always leads me to the conclusion that it should've been one volume.

I read this on a tablet, which I've been doing a lot lately. You know what's stupid? How come nobody has made a tablet for comics? One that's about the size of a full page of a comic, or event two hinged screens about the size of a comic? That would be fuckin' awesome. In like 30 years we went from records to the ipod. Comics technology hasn't really come all that far.

I am SO annoyed by turning the tablet to read the 2-page spreads. I hate that shit. Which is beyond first world problems, but whatever, you're reading this on Goodreads, don't tell me this is what you're doing between shifts busting concrete.

I don't know why, it's just like it breaks the reading experience. I can almost fool myself into thinking I'm reading a comic, but then I remind myself I'm looking at a screen.

[Shaelene (aGirlWithBookss) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read this, it has a super interesting premise. I love anything and all things to do with the ocean. The idea of having a base at the bottom of the ocean for research is so exciting to me, and this seemed like an intriguing setting for a locked-room mystery. However, it missed the mark in a lot of ways.
I absolutely hated the artwork and even the lettering. At times it was hard to read, especially when the lettering had been bolded. The style of art was so messy, undefined and this made it really hard to figure out what was going on in the scene.
The plot wasn’t bad, it kept me engaged enough and enticed me to continue with the next volume. However, by the beginning of the next volume, I already figured out who committed the murder, which made for a very unsatisfactory ending.
I wish I didn’t continue with this series, the artwork was a bad choice for a graphic novel and the plot was easy to figure out.
2.5 stars

[Jeff Toth · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first read of my challenge, I went with one of my most recent acquisitions, from writer/artist Matt Kindt, whose series Mind MGMT is one of my all time favs. Dept. H is a murder mystery set in a research facility at the bottom of the ocean, though it escalates very quickly into a kind of action thriller. This 12-issue collection is half of the series.

Although it might be impossible to top Mind MGMT, I’m loving it so far. I’m going to reserve my opinions until I read the second half, but it is GOOD. I’m going to knock out a couple shorter books before diving back in, but I’m very eager to see where it goes.

Follow along with my reading challenge at https://www.instagram.com/tothpicks/

[Joey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading comic book compendiums as a book hangover cure and plowed through this one in a single sitting last night. It didn't dawn on me until near the end that it was only Vol. 1 and the murder mystery would remain unsolved. Arrgh.

I was immediately sucked into this as a locked-room mystery in a truly claustrophobic setting. There are some cool things happening in the artwork—the B&W for flashbacks, the design of the suits, etc.—but overall I found the sketch-like style somewhat limiting. I’m down for the subsequent volumes though.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for locked-room mysteries, and this one ramps up the intrigue by adding the (literally) crushing claustrophobia of an undersea setting. I was skeptical that Kindt could sustain the tension over the course of 24 issues (of which the first 12 are contained in this volume). I should have known better than to doubt him. With only one closely confined setting and eight characters to play with, he unspools a story of love and obsession and resentment and loss that kept me turning pages long after I should have turned out the light.

And it’s an absolutely stunning book as well! Sharlene Kindt’s watercolors are the perfect complement to her husband’s wispy, dreamlike pen-and-ink lines. There were page turns in here that literally made me gasp. It reminded me of the very best of Frank Miller and Lynn Varley’s collaborations. And how obviously perfect is it to color an undersea mystery with watercolors?

I’m a big fan of everything that I’ve read of Matt Kindt’s so far, but even among his outstanding body of work, Dept. H is something special.

[Miki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Komiks s velkým potenciálem být něco super, který mě hodně namlsal, ale teprve podle konce může vylézt na 5 hvězdiček, nebo naopak spadnout na 3.

Zatím suprová kresba, zajímavé prostředí, detektivková zápletka a do toho na mě občas zdlouhavé flashbacky, které se třeba v druhém svazku ukážou jako důležité, nyní mně ale nepřipadají zas tak zajímavé.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's fine. Good writing, good art. I found reading the entire Omnibus Volume 1 a laborious task. My bad for starting with the omnibus version first! My eyes were too big for my stomach... is that the saying?

[Maïlis M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would a 3,5 because I'm not a fan of the design, however, I was hooked by the story.

[gremlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

matt kindt is consistently writing comics with compelling stories and engaging visuals. i have found a new fave comic writer.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Abyss meets Agatha Christie….I could not put this down. I have already started the next omnibus. Very engrossing and enjoyable. Recommended

[tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Ben]

Jumps around a lot

It's an interesting story with some good design work, but it doesn't do a good job of focusing. It feels like I never get to be comfortable with any perspective.

[David Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt like a cross between Verne, The Thing and better murder mysteries with great pacing, nice world building and just enough pressure. Bit afraid where it might lead, but nice fun read.

[OmniBen · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Spoiler review for the series as a whole)
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

[Li Jin · Rating 4 out of 5]

spooky with a good atmosphere! jumpscared by the cliffhanger though :[