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Clear
Clear #4
A sci-fi mystery thrill-ride into a strange dystopian future, where a neurological internet connection is transforming reality.
Batman writer SCOTT SNYDER and Detective Comics artist FRANCIS MANAPUL unite to take readers on this hard-boiled sci-fi journey.
Part of the comiXology Originals line of exclusive digital content only available on comiXology and Kindle. Read for free as part of your subscription to comiXology Unlimited, Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime. Also available for purchase via comiXology, Kindle and collected in print via Dark Horse Books.
Batman writer SCOTT SNYDER and Detective Comics artist FRANCIS MANAPUL unite to take readers on this hard-boiled sci-fi journey.
Part of the comiXology Originals line of exclusive digital content only available on comiXology and Kindle. Read for free as part of your subscription to comiXology Unlimited, Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime. Also available for purchase via comiXology, Kindle and collected in print via Dark Horse Books.
22 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 25, 2022
36 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Scott Snyder
1,780 books5,135 followersScott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 21, 2025
The plot picks up right where the previous issue left off, with our protagonist, disillusioned ex-cop named Sam Dunes, caught in a web of intrigue and danger within a society where emotions, memories, and perceptions are controlled through advanced technology. In a near-future, hyper-surveilled city that has reached the extremes of clarity and control through the use of "Clear," a device that allows individuals to literally wipe out or alter their memories and experiences.
Snyder's writing continues to be razor-sharp, exploring themes of identity, autonomy, and the essence of human emotion. Dunes, an outsider in this world of controlled perceptions, finds himself on the trail of a mystery that unravels not only his personal history but also the darker underpinnings of the city’s social system. In this issue, the stakes rise, as Dunes faces moral dilemmas and confronts the shadowy forces that govern the city's fragmented society.
The story's pacing is tight, with Snyder skillfully balancing action, introspection, and tension. What stands out in this chapter is how Snyder delves deeper into the philosophical implications of the technology that shapes this world. The sense of unease and paranoia that permeated earlier issues is palpable here, especially as Dunes begins to see the cracks in the system and his own psyche. The line between truth and illusion becomes increasingly blurred, making every revelation feel like a precarious step towards both discovery and danger.
Snyder's writing continues to be razor-sharp, exploring themes of identity, autonomy, and the essence of human emotion. Dunes, an outsider in this world of controlled perceptions, finds himself on the trail of a mystery that unravels not only his personal history but also the darker underpinnings of the city’s social system. In this issue, the stakes rise, as Dunes faces moral dilemmas and confronts the shadowy forces that govern the city's fragmented society.
The story's pacing is tight, with Snyder skillfully balancing action, introspection, and tension. What stands out in this chapter is how Snyder delves deeper into the philosophical implications of the technology that shapes this world. The sense of unease and paranoia that permeated earlier issues is palpable here, especially as Dunes begins to see the cracks in the system and his own psyche. The line between truth and illusion becomes increasingly blurred, making every revelation feel like a precarious step towards both discovery and danger.
March 27, 2022
I read this comic via Kindle Unlimited.
I will not follow you down. I swear I won't. It's all I can think because this is how he killed you, isn't it? This man who looks like me, who is me, pushed you to the edge then over.
Clear continues to be my favourite of the Scott-tober series. The art is this book is mind-blowing and it's a story that will continue to keep you hooked throughout. The last issue left with Sam being dangled off the side of the cliff by a man with his face but yellow eyes and when Collins shows up to intercept Sam, the yellow eye kills him and steals his car. While Collins is dying, Sam thinks about how the veils have a feature that when you're dying, your brain and the veil don't disconnect immediately and if you are sharing a veil with someone who is dying, what they see will drag you down with them. The man with the yellow eyes told Sam the joke his son told him, and it leads Sam to believe that someone told him about the Black Veil Sam used to have. When he confronts the maker of the veil, he's told only Kendra, his dead ex-wife, wanted information on it and we learn that Sam used the veil to imagine a world where his son got to grow up. This story is obviously very dystopian but it has a lot of heart in it, which I think keeps me coming back.
There's one place left to go. To get there I have to do the one thing I just swore to you I wouldn't do. But it's time to do it. It's time to follow you down.
I will not follow you down. I swear I won't. It's all I can think because this is how he killed you, isn't it? This man who looks like me, who is me, pushed you to the edge then over.
Clear continues to be my favourite of the Scott-tober series. The art is this book is mind-blowing and it's a story that will continue to keep you hooked throughout. The last issue left with Sam being dangled off the side of the cliff by a man with his face but yellow eyes and when Collins shows up to intercept Sam, the yellow eye kills him and steals his car. While Collins is dying, Sam thinks about how the veils have a feature that when you're dying, your brain and the veil don't disconnect immediately and if you are sharing a veil with someone who is dying, what they see will drag you down with them. The man with the yellow eyes told Sam the joke his son told him, and it leads Sam to believe that someone told him about the Black Veil Sam used to have. When he confronts the maker of the veil, he's told only Kendra, his dead ex-wife, wanted information on it and we learn that Sam used the veil to imagine a world where his son got to grow up. This story is obviously very dystopian but it has a lot of heart in it, which I think keeps me coming back.
There's one place left to go. To get there I have to do the one thing I just swore to you I wouldn't do. But it's time to do it. It's time to follow you down.
January 28, 2022
Clear continues to be one of Snyder's best works
Clear continues its trend of world-building and character development; combined with its exceptional artwork makes this issue and series as a whole a must-read for any fan of the genre. This issue delivers a gut-wretching ending that sets up the next issue perfectly. This is easily one of my favorite current series.
Clear continues its trend of world-building and character development; combined with its exceptional artwork makes this issue and series as a whole a must-read for any fan of the genre. This issue delivers a gut-wretching ending that sets up the next issue perfectly. This is easily one of my favorite current series.
April 25, 2022
Interesting. Feel like I'm learning a bit with this mystery. Always a solid cliff hanger ending.
March 14, 2023
The story just got away from it - it was all a bit too heavy for me.
Some people want noir all the time, I only want noir a little bit.
The premise of this book is amazing though, the character design of our main protagonist is amazing (helmet, gloves and hand print design - the clothes I couldn’t care less about).
I just think this needs to be lighter and smoother to follow (or more clever if it’s going to be this serious and not just serious for serious’ sake).
Could be a 5/5 series, but I’d give it a 3.8 the way it is.
Some people want noir all the time, I only want noir a little bit.
The premise of this book is amazing though, the character design of our main protagonist is amazing (helmet, gloves and hand print design - the clothes I couldn’t care less about).
I just think this needs to be lighter and smoother to follow (or more clever if it’s going to be this serious and not just serious for serious’ sake).
Could be a 5/5 series, but I’d give it a 3.8 the way it is.
April 4, 2022
I will not follow you down. I swear I won't. It's all I can think, because this is how he killed you, isn't it? This man who looks like me. Who is me. Pushed you to the edge, then over.
I have had a little break from my comiXology original Scott Snyder comics but now have the free time to come back to them.
Clear it is a noir style murder mystery set in a dystopian future where people us 'veils' to hide the real world and see what they want to see instead.
Former policeman and current Private Eye, Sam Dunes, prefers to stay 'clear' and see the world how it is. His work is usually simple investigations, following husbands who prefer to 'veil' their wives into someone or something else.
His world is turned upside down by the apparent suicide of his ex-wife. After finding her message, that she'd been killed, he is on the hunt for the perpetrators. The investigation leads him to being attacked by a mysterious stranger with yellow eyes who looks shockingly like him. Fighting for survival, Sam now has the police after him and is running out of places to hide and acquaintances to turn to.
This is very good and right up my street. The juxtaposition between the classic noir PI styling and narration with the dystopian dying world hidden by advancing technology is very intriguing and I look forward to the next issue. 5 stars.
I have had a little break from my comiXology original Scott Snyder comics but now have the free time to come back to them.
Clear it is a noir style murder mystery set in a dystopian future where people us 'veils' to hide the real world and see what they want to see instead.
Former policeman and current Private Eye, Sam Dunes, prefers to stay 'clear' and see the world how it is. His work is usually simple investigations, following husbands who prefer to 'veil' their wives into someone or something else.
His world is turned upside down by the apparent suicide of his ex-wife. After finding her message, that she'd been killed, he is on the hunt for the perpetrators. The investigation leads him to being attacked by a mysterious stranger with yellow eyes who looks shockingly like him. Fighting for survival, Sam now has the police after him and is running out of places to hide and acquaintances to turn to.
This is very good and right up my street. The juxtaposition between the classic noir PI styling and narration with the dystopian dying world hidden by advancing technology is very intriguing and I look forward to the next issue. 5 stars.
February 5, 2022
'It's time to follow you down. All the way down to the bottom.'
Oh man, this has got to be the most heart-wrenching issue yet. THE REVELATIONS FUCKING HURTED.
Also, the whole aspect of . Really hoping for more of that 🙏
The art continues to shine through and the colors remain an amazing blend of neon and more subdued tones. Just so much love for Francis Manapul's work. I can't get enough.
Oh man, this has got to be the most heart-wrenching issue yet. THE REVELATIONS FUCKING HURTED.
Also, the whole aspect of . Really hoping for more of that 🙏
The art continues to shine through and the colors remain an amazing blend of neon and more subdued tones. Just so much love for Francis Manapul's work. I can't get enough.
June 16, 2023
Obwohl die Teile recht kurz sind (knapp über 20 Seiten) geht mir der Story Fortschritt viel zu langsam. Für mich persönlich fehlt es an Infos bzw Aussichten. Das hat mich nicht bei Laune halten können, weil irgendwie kein Lösungsansatz in Sicht ist. Es tun sich nur immer mehr Schichten auf, das ist mir im Moment leider zu wage.
April 13, 2022
Every Issue?
Issue No. 4: Apparently, the answers to the questions posed in every new issue can only be found in near-death experiences. One of these times, Dunes is actually going to bite the bullet.
Issue No. 4: Apparently, the answers to the questions posed in every new issue can only be found in near-death experiences. One of these times, Dunes is actually going to bite the bullet.
April 2, 2023
Wow Kendra and dune, that's tough
Can anything else go wrong for dune, with Kendra and his son and the yellowed eyed guy that knew his sons joke that's hard , Snyder is a master with comics.
Can anything else go wrong for dune, with Kendra and his son and the yellowed eyed guy that knew his sons joke that's hard , Snyder is a master with comics.
February 10, 2022
Wow
Really lobe how dark the tone is. Cyberpunk noir has to be my new favorite genre. This is beyond amazing
Really lobe how dark the tone is. Cyberpunk noir has to be my new favorite genre. This is beyond amazing
August 13, 2022
Wow, yes!! Loved this issue! This really brought the story along nicely, showing us how veils are used, and seeing Sam’s connection to veils. Interested to see this last issue now…
November 23, 2022
Clear #4
I am, still really enjoying the series. The story and artistry are fantastic. I'll be starting the next chapter soon.
I am, still really enjoying the series. The story and artistry are fantastic. I'll be starting the next chapter soon.
May 18, 2023
Read my previous review on #2 because the volumes I read of these are collected together. :)
April 23, 2024
#4 – “Don’t = unh = .. Don’t you say her name!! WHO ARE YOU?”
August 12, 2024
I'm getting more and more lost... This is the worst chapter so far... I would stop reading, but I'm so close to the end!
June 12, 2022
I can't remember if it was introduced earlier - it must have been - but in Issue #4 we are shown why Dunes prefers to be "clear" instead of "veiled" and I want to say that we are introduced to the notion of a "black veil" - an illegal "veil" that is "homemade."
It's clear why people prefer veils in Clear. This issue gives you a glimpse at the veil Dunes used. The issue also reveals more of Kendra's plans and how they were connected to the "underground."
It successfully made me want to read more. Though I am kind of tired of these "cliffhanger" style endings - these big dramatic endings - even if they were predictable you would at least have the anticipation of learning how the writer writes the hero out of the predicament but Clear is slowly losing me in this aspect. The resolutions seem more convenient than creative.
Then again maybe it's because each issue is only 21 pages so I might feel differently if they were all together in a single book.
It's clear why people prefer veils in Clear. This issue gives you a glimpse at the veil Dunes used. The issue also reveals more of Kendra's plans and how they were connected to the "underground."
It successfully made me want to read more. Though I am kind of tired of these "cliffhanger" style endings - these big dramatic endings - even if they were predictable you would at least have the anticipation of learning how the writer writes the hero out of the predicament but Clear is slowly losing me in this aspect. The resolutions seem more convenient than creative.
Then again maybe it's because each issue is only 21 pages so I might feel differently if they were all together in a single book.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews