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Whiteout
A US Marshal and a British intelligence agent must solve a multiple-homicide
case at a group of research installations in Antarctica without becoming
victims themselves.
Whiteout draws a lot of its strength from its setting. The isolation
and ever-present danger of the elements intensify the drama considerably,
while also giving the very down-to-earth murder/mystery story a somewhat
exotic feel. Lieber does a good job of getting that isolation and strangeness
across, using spare pencil lines and a variety of page-treatment (or abuse,
depending on your point of view) techniques to set the tone for the story.
Sometimes the effects obscure the art a bit much more my tastes, but on the
whole it's good work. Lieber does well with character close-ups that need to
convey a particular emotion as well as with wider shots that emphasize the
barren surroundings. The action sequences aren't spectacular, but they're
clear and effective. Rucka deserves a lot of credit for the characterizations
here. US Marshal Carrie Stetko and British intelligence agent Lily Sharpe are
the main investigators and protagonists; Rucka conveys the tension and respect
between the two characters well. He also conveys the characters' strength
while also preserving their humanity; these aren't automatons or cardboard
characters. Stetko's ups and downs are the emotional heart of the story. What
is it like to be trapped by the elements at the bottom of the world, where the
very air outside can kill you? How does a woman interact with the macho
mentality that inevitably results from such an atmosphere? Rucka gets inside
Steko's mind to let us feel the answers to these questions. At first, I
thought the overwhelming bleakness I felt while reading Whiteout was a
mark against the story - but now I understand that you couldn't tell a story
like this honestly without invoking such emotion. This isn't a feel-good
story, and it can't be, even if it does end on a somewhat hopeful note. That
note lifts the chill only slightly. But the involving plot, intriguing setting
and solid characterization make it a chill worth feeling.
Reviewed by Dave Thomer
This Is Not News webmaster
- Year: 2000
- Author: Greg Rucka
- Illustrator: Steve Lieber
- Genre: Fiction / comics
- Length: 120 pages
- Publisher: Oni Press
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