Clear

Clear #1-6

by Scott Snyder, Francis Manapul (Artist), AndWorld Design (Letterer)

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.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Comic Book

137 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 23, 2022

About the author

Scott 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.

Reviews

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good cyberpunkish idea, lacking in execution. Snyder gets rid of his plot using all the tropes and easy shortcuts available on market. Pity, really, when I fantasize on what it could have been if better handled.

The 2* I give this botched up attempt is compensated by a 4* for Manapul's art and colors. He totally saves the book from an irredeemable below average rating.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool stuff.

[Philips_comics · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm mixed feelings on this. The premise is a lot more interesting than it's execution. Somewhere in the middle of the story it became slightly odd and looked like it was going to lose me. But it did a decent job and pulled me back in slightly. The story tries to pull on heart strings a little with the main protagonist's back story tragedy but I didn't flinch and I tear up quite regularly. Art is pretty. Worth a read but not in a reread category.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seriously thought provoking in what feels like it could be a Black Mirror episode. Scott Snyder is a phenomenal writer.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scott Snyder nails all the cyberpunk noir tropes in Clear to a mostly satisfactory end. There's a bleak future where Earth's population are effectively wearing blinders ("veils") so that they don't have to see the bleakness around them. There's a cop with a tragic past who refuses to wear a veil. There's a death that needs investigation - and that investigation starts to reveal what's really going on.

There are also so many twists you might want to have your chiropractor on speed-dial. It's exhausting. I had to re-read a few sections to wrap my head around the plot. Fortunately, the art is great and Clear is pretty intriguing at times, so I didn't mind the light re-reading - though it shouldn't really be necessary.

Befitting the noir vibes is an excess of first-person narration. Scott Snyder sure loves text! I guess there's a lot to explain in a short time in this graphic novel, but still, an editor could have helped quite a bit.

[Elfo-oscuro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ha sido toda una sorpresa este noir futurista, me parecia muy ingeniosa y atrevida la historia que te cuenta a traves de los 6 numeros. Si te gusta la ciencia ficcion, elige buena musica y dejate llevar

[Alex Sarll]

Another of Snyder's Comixology Originals, but at least this one isn't him doing his horror plot again. Instead, it's pretty much the one decent episode from Westworld's third season, Genre, turned up to 11. Somewhere in the not too distant future, AR is omnipresent, almost everyone overlaying an increasingly shabby reality with a variety of filters. As the title suggests, Detective Sam Dunes is one of the minority responsible for that 'almost', and the story is a fairly standard noir set-up with its own overlay of 'what if phones but too much?' None of which matters much, because the attraction here is seeing Francis Manapul unleashed, drawing a totally different world from one panel to the next as Dunes is thrown from one filter to another because of some plot, but mainly because it looks bloody brilliant. And it really does – unlike most Originals, where even good art always feels like quick good art, this one is a proper visual treat. Hell, once it gets underway, the story isn't bad either; I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever done a sharp intake of breath at a plot development in anything from this imprint. Yes, I found the actual ending sappy compared to the one that was feinted, but if I'm honest even I don't really want to read SF which accurately captures my complete lack of hope for the future, so I can't complain too much. Definitely worth a free read if you have Prime.

[Fraser Simons · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the future, after a pseudo WW3, in which America was in a war with China, but their technology betrayed them (presumably because it was infiltrated/manufactured by them?), everyone uses a thing called Veils, a hybrid reality that allows people to apply filters to the world. There is no working class, just robots that do labour, and the super rich. Otherwise, just people squeaking by, unable—unwilling—to see the world for what it is. Sam is a detective who uses the “clear” filter, allowing him to see the world for what it is. Typically, he investigates men cheating on their wives. Beyond the usual, veils make it so a variety of cheating on partners exists.When his ex turns up dead, however, he begins to infiltrate a conspiracy that goes to the heart of Veils, and what they are capable of in society.

There’s some cool worldbuilding and a good, pseudo noir style narration, given Sam’s profession. There are some really great moments but the ending undermines some of the moments, as a couple a bit too incredulous for me, given the reveal around them later on. The artwork is great, it’s cyberpunk, really being about stratification of class and high tech, low life.

Considering I created a tabletop role-playing called The Veil, also about hybrid reality, also cyberpunk, you could say Clear was always going to be really appealing to me, and so it is. I find hybrid reality fascinating and the themes of cyberpunk some of the most compelling. I also tend to like noir stories. If not for the kind of clunky late reveals, this absolutely would have been a 5 star read, for me.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The dynamite creative duo of Scott Snyder & Franis Manupal team up to tell a noir scifi book. The book revolves around a future where everyone is jacked into the internet in a way that lets them see the world in any way they like, called veils. There are only a handful of people who don't, including our lead who is clear, hence the title. The book has a decent mystery and deals with loss, control, and future tech and is entertaining but got too deep and the science hurt my head at times. I did however love Manupal's art and that comes as no surprise as he's one of the industry's best. Here, there are some incredibly cool panels and layouts. Overall, a very good book that was too heavy with the science to be a bigger hit.

[Larakaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://youtu.be/QSYLSfeW0mg

[Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I overdosed on Snyder's formulaic stories a long time ago, so I haven't read any of his stuff in a while. This wasn't an exception to the rule. It follows every expected path. But I did enjoy it ! Manapul's art work is stellar. Pure unadulterated technicolor cyberpunk psychedelia. The neon colors popping straight off the page. There's a couple of sequences where he gets to stretch his art muscles, Echolands style, and do a bunch of different art styles on the same page. The story, much like any Snyder book, has a nice catch, and a couple good ideas but fails to explore them fully. He creates a world where everyone's brains have been rewired to see the world as they want to see it. Like a filter over the horrors of society. I thought he'd worked through his parental anxiety with Wytches, though I guess that's not really something you can fully "work through". So there's a bit of that. The terrible idea of the loss of a child. A bit of eco-anxiety is also on the menu, and some general sociopolitical angst. The end feels kind of rushed, compared to the pace of the rest of the book. I get that it's a climax and it's supposed to be adrenaline inducing, but it doesn't feel entirely deserved. It's a decent book overall, kinda made me want to check out the rest of his Comixology Originals line up

[Rick Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite dull for me unfortunately. Scott Snyder continues to be a writer whose works end up being a coin flip as to whether I enjoy them or not. Snyder's prose can be quite heavy-handed at times, and if I don't feel bought into the concept, the storytelling can become a bit clunky for me. Francis Manapul's artwork is vibrant and energetic, and really the main thing that encouraged me to keep reading until the end.

[Nicko · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

Chapter 1
I’m hoping this keeps up because the setup alone I thought was good. Maybe the joke that the 9 y/o told was a little too complex for his age lol but everything else I thought was compelling. A compelling, relevant, futuristic premise with juicy sci-fi elements. And I of course love Manapul’s work and how it absolutely matches but also elevates the work. Complete cinematic sci-fi noir. Cool stinger, too, with the watch; “I WAS MURDERED.”
(The rest of Chapter 1 after the stinger)
This is continuing to be good. I’m crossing my fingers. I don’t wanna be let down hah. You can tell Snyder has his hand in worldbuilding. The terminology, mechanics, and locations — I think they’re presented to you in a smooth fashion. Sometimes a little excessive but I’ll let it slide. You can also tell that Snyder likes to plant seeds only to bring them back later. Like with the 9 y/o’s joke coming back when Sam finds the watch. Or with the feeling that Sam describes when he was in the Red War and exploring The Arbor. The intrigue is starting to stir up here with finding Kendra’s old box of belongings. Question though — if Director Union wanted to hide things from Sam, why give him Kendra’s old box? Also, reading this section made me realize that Kendra is who the book opens with, visually. So that made me go back and look through those panels to see if there any answers.

Chapter 2
I liked the beginning of this, with Sam’s confrontation with Hamelin. And how the Wake showed us some more of his backstory which was important. And I’m liking what I do we do get of Kendra here with wanting to secretly build the world’s biggest shared veil. Got really confused though when Sam confronts Petal though. Petal hired someone to masquerade as her husband wanting illegal veils so she could spy on Sam? How would hiring a detective get you to “spy” on them exactly? And then Petal claims that she knows that Kendra sent Sam the watch before she died. Why didn’t she just get it herself in his apartment in the last issue?
(The rest of Chapter 2 after the stinger)
This is getting good! My only gripe is that Snyder should’ve dealt with all the exposition in a more cleaner way. I feel like 65% of Sam’s narration is explaining to us a new term/idea and how it works. It gets difficult to keep up with everything. But I’m loving the story so far. It’s not completely original, but definitely sci-fi noir. I love how some of the revelations get revealed to us — like after Sam’s “clone” attacks him and kills Collins, Sam attacks Alka and through yelling at him, reveals to us that he did use *one* black veil once. And once we see what that black veil was towards the end of the issue, it sort of all comes back full circle — with Baxter telling the joke — and we see what this story is/might be — a story of loss and longing. I think one of the main things I enjoy about this story is how complex Sam’s mental seems to be. He’s got a chip on his shoulder. A man full of regret. A guy that hates the happy and good memories because he never felt he was worth any of it. Someone with a lot of self-hate I guess. I’m curious what the YEM (yellow eyed man) is all about and how Union/D.O.C./1518 ties into all this. I also liked meeting Hamelin at the beginning of those chapter, albeit brief. Last thing — I loved Manapul’s colors during the flashback sequence of Kendra confronting Alka with the D.O.C. about the black veil he made for Sam. Black and white except for Kendra’s hair.

Chapter 3
I mostly enjoyed this. It kinda reminds me of MINORITY REPORT and a lot of sci-fi flicks that fall into “sorta above average” category but nothing too great. I liked the main throughline here — it’s kind of like IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE but on sci-fi steroids. Would we really wish for another life, albeit fake, to avoid the one we have? If it were given to us, would we really choose that over our reality? Even though I’m left to believe that Sam, after plugging in the Baxter veil, would probably choose to live in it, considering he lost Baxter AND basically loses Kendra twice there.
I think where the book falters is this third issue. Snyder had a few things to tie up — YEM, Kendra’s true motivations/events, Sam’s arc, Mr. Madders, The Widow — and what he’d executed was a bit messy. Basically a lot of revelations one after the other that it’s hard to process and keep up. I did like the twist, though, that we haven’t even been seeing the true “clear” all this time. That the powers that be even made a veil for the entire world to see because true reality is that effed up.
But what’s confusing is that The Widow tells us that Kendra wasn’t trying to force everyone to see the true clear when uploading Baxter, but then later, Madders claims that’s exactly what she was trying to do but it wouldn’t matter anyway because people would want to just remain in their veils. I also think it just feels wrong for Kendra to want to live in some “super” veil. Also, are we to believe that Madders picked up Kendra when she jumped into the ocean? Who was the dead body at the coroner’s office? Someone with “coding”? Also disappointed we don’t get any closure of 1518 and Hamelin. Anyway, in short, a bit of a confusing ending with too much thrown at you at once.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10

A great world, a great story, great art, and great symbolism. Clear has all the hallmarks of a great mystery with clever twists and reveals. I think this series would have benefited greatly from being a few issues longer and drawing out the mystery more but it's still very well done. The art style is incredible with its use of color. Francis Manapul deserves all the credit for making a beautiful, expansive world come to life. It's hard to create an original dystopian world that incorporates modern fears surrounding technology without coming across as pretentious. Clear explains its society very well and doesn't glamorize the veils as the way to live a perfectly care-free life. In fact, they show that the veils are often used to tap into the dark side of humanity, to show people what it's like to be killed over and over again; to live in a society always at war; to walk down the city streets in an apocalypse. It's these details that play into the consumerism aspect significantly as well and creates an idea that isn't too hard to imagine in real life.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clear, by Scott Snyder ***
Private Investigator, Sam Dunes, is in a futuristic world where you ‘veil’ what you see by using your preferred choice of filter lens in your brain so that you do not feel sad by reality. Dramatic, intriguing, heartbreaking! Feels like 40s noir in a dystopian climate.
#1 – San Francisco 2052. “.. when suddenly the world went CRAZY.”
#2 – Reflecting on how his life led him to this point, “Get ready to WIN, Dunes.” “Hell yes, sir.” “Now THAT feeling .. it stays with you much longer.”
#3 – The tragic death of his son and consequent divorce. “Stare at the watch. At the hands. The HANDS that will never disappear.”
#4 – “Don’t = unh = .. Don’t you say her name!! WHO ARE YOU?”
#5 – “.. Telling me to calm down. That I am okay. Not to be afraid, even though I might be disorientated.” Trippy!!
#6 – “What will you do? Will you turn away again? And again? Or THIS time, will you face it?”

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea isn't ever very clearly developed. You'd think a comic would be the perfect place to tell a story about illusions vs. reality, but not in this case. Clear is all about a future in which people wear "veils" which can show them any reality they want, but which also prevent them from seeing the world as it really is. Sam Dunes is a detective who lives "clear," free from any veil, and begins an investigation into his ex-wife's death, which reveals a conspiracy that extends to the upper reaches of those in power. This really should have been a better story than it was, but is very simplistically presented, with a lot more talking than showing. The real draw is the art, but it isn't put to its best use, unfortunately. Ultimately, this was pretty disappointing.

[Annaliese Mansfield · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was interested at the start; the world seemed fascinating and there was an element of mystery, but everything that I thought this story was going to be went out the window. I progressively felt more and more lost with what was happening in the plot, there was A LOT of dialogue at times which made it just boring to read, and the amount of fake-out deaths just got annoying...
I'm so confused about what this plot was, I can't even think of a way to summarize it. Even though my ratings for the individual chapters are a little higher than 1 star, I just feel like the whole thing overall isn't worth more than 1 star!
I will say though that the art style is beautiful, it was stunning to look at at times!

[Maraya21 (The Reading Dragon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Shaun Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clear collects issues 1-6 of the Dark Horse Comics series written by Scott Snyder and drawn and colored by Francis Manapul. It was originally published digitally by Comixology.

In a world where everyone uses Veils to augment their reality to their choosing, a man on the edge of breaking and who chooses to view the world as it really appears without Veils, investigates the mysterious death of his ex-wife.

I really enjoyed the world building and set-up for this book but the story just didn’t connect with me. It felt generic and the ending really fell flat. It is similar to other recent Snyder books in that it’s pretty wordy. I’m honestly surprised that Snyder hasn’t made a jump to prose novels with how much he loves to write. I definitely think he should try to make that jump because I do think he is a talented writer that is sometimes hampered by the conformities of the comicbook medium.

Francis Manapul helps elevate this book with his beautiful art, especially the colors. The colors really pop off the page in this book. Snyder has been blessed with working with some of the best artistic talent in the business over the last 10 years. This is another book where I think your mileage may vary. There will definitely be some people that connect with the story on a much more emotional level.

[Krishnan Nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad there was a combined graphic novel for Clear. I didn't want to review each of the individual issues and they are too short for a complete story.

I liked the science fiction setting and the twists at the end. I guess some of them could have been predicted but I still liked how the story went.

I wonder how Kendra's death was faked since we were shown her jumping off the bridge.

Overall, this was a nice comic to read, especially since it was available on Kindle Unlimited.

[Nicholas Driscoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this. I think parts of it have some big problems, but I liked the ideas, the cyberpunk backdrop, the jaw-dropping art. The basic idea is to put a cyber-noir detective in a future wherein people use AR to drown the world in a backdrop of CG frosting, and the detective is one of the few who tries to go "clear"--tries to live without the fake world. Of course there is a lot of deception and mystery and if you're paying attention it shouldn't be that hard to guess what is up to some degree, but I didn't guess, and I had a good time.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a definite possible dystopian future Snyder and Manapul have come up with. Humanity is circling the drain and doesn't want to know about it so everyone is using augmented reality to hide the truth. In the middle of this scenario is a man searching for his ex-wife's killer. Snyder is way too wordy though. Francis Manapul's art is absolutely terrific. Use it to tell the story instead of monologuing all the time. The art is the real shining star of this story. Manapul proves again why he's one of the top artists working in comics today.

[Michael Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I bought this trade a few weeks ago, I knew very little about it apart from the talent involved, so when I began reading to discover a cybernoir thriller, I was blown away. Well crafted storytelling by Scott Snyder set in all-too-real potential future. I usually associate artist Francis Manapul with bright, earthy, art so it was a wonderful surprise to see him skillfully handle this dark shadowy world with luminous and neon lighting. My only complaint is that the cover indicates that this is volume one and though I’d love more I think the ending of this trade is perfect as is.

[Noell · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Clear

I was not sure what to expect when I was reading this but I did not see that ending coming. It was phenomenal and the artwork was amazing. It really played well into the film the I was not sure what to expect when I was reading this but I did not see that ending coming. It was phenomenal and the artwork was amazing. It really played well into the film noir-esque format and plot with an almost Judge Dredd/Altered Carbon/Blade Runner feel.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent graphic novel. A science-fiction satire that is both predictive of a possible future and a scathing commentary of our current reality where we turn a blind eye to the suffering of the marginalized so we can construct our own happy family cocoon, even blunting out our personal tragedies with virtual reality and immersive entertainment - anything to distract ourselves from looking at the poor and exploited who are forced through desperation to support our lifestyle.

[Travis Duke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snyder and Manapul is a great combo, they both do a good job. This is a futuristic mystery that is a familiar story but still fun. It reminds me a bit of blade runner, but still has an edge of creativity from Snyder. I liked the characters and story and the art is really good, sharp and colorful. Towards the middle you can see where the story is going and it gets a little predicable but still worth reading. Snyder is really pumping out these single story books, and mostly they are good.

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read, what if you create a hologram so powerful it became your reality. A great what-if alternative earth , where alt-reality called veil created for people trying to escape the real world.

Pacing of the story might not be for everyone for the build-up is kind of off for me. But the twist and turns every chapter made it a good read.

[Roberto Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snyder and Manapul deliver a good story

Writer Scott Snyder manages to get artist Francis Manapul to stretch his drawing muscles with this project, their sci fi noir CLEAR. Taking elements of the genre and infusing it with a mystery in a world in which things may not be as it seem. Is a solid read.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of interesting ideas here about a future where we can’t tell reality from fantasy anymore because everyone has their own reality filter on. Snyder starts to plum the depths of what the ramifications of this world would be but then the ending wraps up hastily as if a multi part story had to be ended quickly. Disappointing