Rendered in pretty stylish, energetic way, this graphic novel is a self-contained noir sci-fi story. I don't think it engaged with particularly novel themes, but it did so with style and dynamism in art storytelling that made the reading a fun experience. It's my second read by Jeff Lemire -- the first was Sentient, which I loved more because it was a more powerful story -- but on a graphic storytelling level, this was more engaging. It has a share of golden oldies nostalgia in it, bring to mind old school superheroes and some aesthetics from Back to the future.

Thanksto Netgalley for an arc of #CosmicDetective. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Cosmic Detective is sure pretty to look at. David Rubin's art is a cool blend of Paul Pope, Moebius, and Kirby. Things are big and dramatic and full of energy. There's a feel to this world that's palpable- and when the detective leaves the confines of normal reality the art explodes into pop art wonderfulness.

There is also a story. A god gets shot. A detective is assigned. A mystery ensues. The nature of reality is questioned. Ya know, the good stuff. And it's well written. Lemire and Kindt work well on this. I was entertained by the story.

At the end of the day, this is a cool story with really great art.

I loved this art style! It gives off noir/cyberpunk vibes throughout the entire story. Usually I don't read much sci-fi/cosmic horror but this one held my attention. I'm actually surprised how much I enjoyed it. Good story development, which isn't always the easiest with the amount of pages you have in a graphic novel/comic.

I'm looking forward to the second edition and I have suggested this graphic novel multiple times to readers looking for sci-fi fantasy.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Image Comics for an advanced copy of this murder mystery set in a city of night and rain, the victim being a presumed God, with far reaching results for the world.

"Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid." The opening line is from Raymond Chandler describing his idea of the perfect detective, always searching, always trying to save a life, willing to take a hit and be lied to in order to find the truth. I should add for this story and deal with a lot of weird stuff. Our hero(?) prowls a city at night in the rain, a classic car his chariot, solving a murder, a murder that should be impossible to commit and for the victim impossible to die. This is a story that only two writes, either at the top of their game, or messed up from whippets could write. Cosmic Detective written by Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt, authors of many great series, with illustrations by David Rubín, is a noir psychedelic mystery set among gods, men, mothers and families, with very high costs for everyone.

A detective is called to a hotel, where he finds an impossible body, as part of an impossible crime. The victim is what can only be called a God, from where no one knows, once thought immortal, the body is proof that their long life was only a rumor. As the detective begins to probe the murder, he is given an ultimatum, solve is soon, or never be involved in this case ever. The detective gains an ally, a missing detective who disappeared the last time one of these Gods were murdered. This ghost urges the detective to stop investigating, but does not tell why. Slowly a story starts to come together, involving a missing pregnant woman, drug testing, and possible the end of the world.

A very good graphic novel drawing from the works and ideas of European comics, with a lot of influence from Jack Kirby, especially his New Gods stories. The story is big, much bigger than it seems to be, covering lot of ideas, but with character development that many would not bother with. We know not the Detective' name, but he does have a family that he loves, he is not afraid of taking a punch, and will do much to try an figure out what is going on. Both writers bring different elements to the story, Kindt the conspiracy aspect and Lemire the family sense and responsibility to doing right, especially when it comes to family. The art by David Rubín is really good. A nice mix of Jack Kirby, with strange European sensibilities, and incredible backgrounds. The city looks wonderful, damp, threatening and yet exotic and unique. The story kind of drops one in, but it works well, and once the reader starts to understand it, the book is off and never stops till the end.

Recommended for fans of both writers, fans of art work that speak to the inner mind, and for readers who love their comics a little odd and off. I hope this is the first of many joint projects for all three creators as I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

The title says it all. Sure, it's a detective procedural. But that's only the opening frame. We then start to go cosmic, with a dead god and a world that is more fantastic than expected, And then we probe even deeper and find a set of Matryoshka truths, some lies, and some eye opening choices. Very satisfying. The artwork almost goes psychedelic, but stays just gritty/realistic enough to suit the story. A nice find.

I've learned over the years that one can never go wrong with with the comics that Image puts out. I've been a fan a long time, and was super excited to see this new one in particular: noir, detective mystery, cosmic horror? Like Ed Brubaker's Fatale or the movie 'Cast a Deadly Spell', but through a paleo-future lens, an alternate universe with a timeless present that is a mix similar to the universe of the Fallout game series, pre-nukes.

The Detective is nameless, and he works for a nameless agency investigating the strange secret world of unknowable ancient gods capable of physics and geometry that would drive a human insane. I enjoyed the design of the world a lot, it's beautiful and dark and twisted... and then the ancient gods got kind of goofy looking. It's all still very creepy but they're like the colorful love children of Thanos, Vision, and Dr. Manhattan. And the story itself is The Eternals? Marvel's Eternals? But with a noir horror bent, which I actually liked a lot.

If you're into noir detective stories and/or cosmic horror, you will absolutely enjoy Cosmic Detective. I appreciate they went blatant with the title lol And I recommend checking out the writers' and artist's other work, because they all have a lot of gems in their catalogs!

Lemire, Kindt, and Rubin have just collaborated on one of the best graphic novels of 2023! Cosmic Detective is the creepy and unsettling detective story that I needed this year! It's gritty, dark, and the mystery will have you hungering for more!

This story follows our Cosmic Detective as he investigates a murder of a seemingly otherworldly being. Something that should not have the ability to die. What follows is a race to discover the truth and everybody seemingly has something to hide.

Jeff Lemire is an absolute master of the craft when it comes to dark and unsettling graphic novels. I think one of my favorite things about his work is how deep it goes. This is a bit of a two-pronged depth finder. The story definitely pulls you into the depths and will sink teeth into you until you finish, but it also explores the depth of the human spirit in some way. I think some of my favorite images in this particular story is how our Detective constantly finds ways to look deeper, whether he is climbing into the trunk of a car to go to the coroner, or looking through some binoculars to look into the depth of a seed. I think it illustrates some deeper meanings in this story.

This story is perfect for readers who enjoy crime procedurals, science fiction fans, and readers that just love a good mystery! Read this book!

This was…fine? I was really intrigued by the description, but this just wasn’t for me. I can see the appeal it would have for some. The story was fast paced and kind of interesting. The black bar over the word for the god-like character was an odd choice for me. The art was well done, dark and gritty feeling. I think there will be plenty of people who love this. FYI, there is one sex scene and then another couple scenes later where the main character’s penis is just…out. So if that bothers you, maybe give this a pass. Otherwise, it’s a decent mystery and seems well done.

A sci-fi noir for lovers of the weird and gritty.

I see Matt Kindt’s fingerprints all over this story! You may know Kindt’s name as the co-writer of BRZRKR, alongside Keanu Reeves (yes, that Keanu Reeves). If you liked BRZRKR’s pacing and gradual reveal of a deeper story and sci-fi elements, you’ll like this.

The book was co-written with Jeff Lemire. I was introduced to Lemire’s writing when I read, Secret Path, which he co-wrote with Gord Downie (lead singer of The Tragically Hip). The book is so impactful and heartbreaking that even seven years on, it still sits with me. Ever since then, Jeff Lemire became an auto-read for me. I love his Descender series, the standalone Sentient and Mazebook, and the two ‘seasons’ of Snow Angels. Cosmic Detective sits apart from these, although you can see Lemire’s trademark imagination, character development and top-tier storytelling shining through.

The story follows a detective, who works for a shadow-organization, as he tries to solve a murder. We are in a sci-fi noir setting, where nothing is ever as it seems. This world contains ‘gods’ or beings that have powers and are immortal, at least until one gets murdered and our detective is sent to investigate. The story moves at a great pace, the world-building is so interesting and the characters are compelling (especially the librarian!).

The illustrations elevate this story from great to AMAZING. The way David Rubín approaches the panels in this shows why some stories are best told through graphic novels. The way he captures sound (SOUND!) in this makes the story feel so quiet and then is able to ramp it up to 11. The art work is a big part of what keeps the pacing moving quickly and Rubín brings to life the cosmic-sci-fi energy in a way that will leave you feeling a little sticky (in a good way).

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for this advanced reader copy.

This graphic novel is best read right before bed, because I guarantee you will have the wildest dreams of your life.

I loved this from the cover through to the end of added content. The way the story flows through the artists imagination and pen, the inventive way the characters move from place to place, the blanked out ….. , and especially the scenes where the detective goes home to his family in the midst of his trauma fuelling search (that was so emotional). Come on Vol 2!!!! Thank you to Image Comics and NetGalley for the comic ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

An excellent execution of psychedelic sci-fi noir. The lead and supporting characters pop, riffing on pulp tropes with a cockeyed humor underscored by strong artwork and lean, mean pacing. A plethora of Easter Egg nods and winks reward the vigilant reader, but are by no means necessary to go along for the ride.

If the solution to the mystery feels a little underdeveloped, that's a brief hiccup on the way to a satisfying ending. An altogether exhilarating -- although not particularly groundbreaking -- story, well executed.