Douglas Adams’ Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency #1
Written by Chris Ryall
Pencils by Tony Akins
Inks by John Livesay
Colors by Leonard O’Grady
Letters by Robbie Robbins and Shawn Lee
Covers by Tony Akins and Paul Mounts (Regular), Rob Guillory (Subscription), Robert Hack and Stephen Downer (Retailer Incentive)
IDW Publishing
Release Date: May 20, 2015
Cover Price: $3.99

Everything is connected. That’s the long and short of how the title character in Douglas Adams’ Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency #1 sees the world in general and how he works through his mysteries in particular. If you haven’t read any Douglas Adams then immediately following this review, go do so. The man was not only amazing but he should have been sainted for the wonderful work he did in science fiction literature. I applaud anyone who revives or adapts his work for the newer generations. But we are here to talk about this individual issue, folks, so let’s do just that!

As it turns out, the concept of fundamental interconnectedness means that time, space, and reality can all be thrown to the wolves. If the entire makeup of everything is connected to everything else then it’s as if the universe is playing a game akin to the Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon! In this comic, we see the eponymous Dirk Gently seeking those very same connections! Relying on his wits and wisdom, and a good deal of luck and fate, he somehow manages to find the thread that links it all together.

Masters of the Universe: The Lost Knight
Written by Geoff Johns
Pencils by Howard Porter
Inks by John Livesay
Colors by Carrie Strachan
Letters by Sal Cipriano
Cover by Howard Porter & John Livesay
DC Comics
Release Date: June 23, 2012
Cover Price: $.99

When reading Masters of the Universe: The Lost Knight, you get the feeling that if Mattel was still including mini-comics with their toys, this is the one that would be included with Sir Laser Lot. DC Comics will be releasing these shorter, digital comics every two weeks as a companion or supplement to its Masters of the Universe six-issue miniseries that debuted in comic stores on July 4th. And by the looks of things, we’re in for some GREAT reading.

I guess you could say this Geoff Johns guy knows how to write a comic. But, does he know how to write a licensed property comic? Guess what folks, all those DC Comics that he writes, at this point ARE licensed properties. And to answer my own question, YES, he does. Time/page-wise, he doesn’t have much to work with, as this comic is about 17 or 18 pages long, a little shorter than what he’s used to working with. And, to be fair, because of the digital format, most of the pages are only feature a couple of panels. BUT, what he DOES do is pack a TON of story into these panels.