A John Doe slaying lures a journalist into a world of political intrigue, a wi-fi-enabled grotto, and a station locker full of secrets. For Bucky, an editor of the crime beat at “”The Truth,”” it’s all in a day’s work …but he also happens to be a deer. Deer Editor #1 plays it straight with a story that feels like a solid journalist on the case story.

Written by Ryan K. Lindsay, Deer Editor #1 might seem like a silly concept. It’s a reporter investigating a death and getting dragged into political corruption but the reporter also happens to be a deer. It feels like an SNL skit that goes a bit too long. But, the comic works because Lindsay plays it straight. Bucky is a reporter who just happens to be a deer. The jokes are kept to a minimum. “Deer abilities” are also kept to a minimum. Make Bucky human and so far there’d be little difference in the story.

And there’s something in that playing it straight. Lindsay’s pacing of the comic, the rather serious tone of things, Deer Editor #1 feels like it has a lot to thank in Fletch, the film that saw Chevy Chase playing a reporter dragged into a story about corruption. That too you’d think was a comedy but the original also was serious and kept things pretty dialed back as far as the comedy. It was present but it was mainly a story about a reporter who gets tied into a story that spirals, just like Deer Editor #1.

The art by Sami Kivelä helps with it all. With blues, blacks, and whites by colorist Lauren Affe, and lettering by Jim Campbell, the visuals feel like a detective story more than anything else. It just so happens Bucky is a deer, the visuals really don’t emphasize that a whole lot. And that, plus the dialogue, makes what seems like a bizarre concept totally normal.

Deer Editor #1 might seem like a silly concept, but it focuses on its core genre, hitting the beats you’d expect for good and bad. It’s a crime comic that just so happens to have a deer as the main character. It’s also well worth checking for those fans of the crime genre.

Story: Ryan K. Lindsay Art: Sami Kivelä
Color: Lauren Affe Letterer: Jim Campbell
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Mad Cave Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Amazon