Comic Book Review: Whiteout/Whiteout: Melt written by Greg Rucka, illustrated by Steve Lieber
Carrie Stetko is a U.S. Marshal who’s been reassigned to Antarctica after an…incident at work and the death of her husband. It’s been a fairly quiet duty post, and Marshal Stetko is getting to feel at home on the Ice. Then a drilling expedition disappears, leaving only a badly mangled, nearly unidentifiable corpse at the site.
There is murder afoot, and soon Carrie is fighting for her life, not without losses. She’s no longer sure who she can trust, especially British investigator Lily Sharpe, who most assuredly has her own agenda. Worse, the investigation must be completed before the mass evacuation of personnel as winter approaches
Melt is a sequel. Marshal Stetko is called back to the Antarctic from her first vacation in years when a Russian science station explodes. Certain government agencies want to know if there was anything…against treaty…going on at the station. Carrie quickly learns the explosion was no accident, and must team up with Russian agent Captain Aleksandr Ivanovich Kuchin. It seems there might have been something illegal at the station after all, and Carrie must decide between her priorities.
Assuming the Ice lets anyone survive the chase.
These thrillers are written by Greg Rucka, who is known for his research and attention to detail, The first volume is a bit more of a mystery than the latter, which is much more about survival. Art is by Steve Lieber, who took the challenge of a black and white series where white is the dominant color, and used a variety of inking tools to great effect.
This is exciting stuff. Antarctica is one of the most hostile places on Earth even in good weather. Add bad weather and human murderousness, and Carrie is fighting for her life most of the time.
The first volume has an attempted rape, and several closeups of Marshal Stetko’s mangled hand. Melt has some nudity and a (non-explicit, consensual) sex scene. Both volumes have some harsh language. As such, parents should heed the “Older Audiences” rating Oni Press has given the books.
There was a Whiteout movie made which takes much of its plot from the first volume. Marshal Stetko was prettied up quite a bit, Lily Sharpe was replaced by a more conventional male investigative partner, and Carrie’s competence level was lowered somewhat to allow the male heroic characters more to do. This is believed to have contributed to a relatively poor critical reception.
I recommend this series for thriller fans, lovers of ice and snow, and people who saw the movie.
