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The case of The One Hand Killer gets deeper and more intricate the more detective Ari Nassar tries to understand the psychology of the killer. Nassar’s obsession to solve the case leads him to defy orders, which in turn causes more chaos. Will Ari be able to make sense of all the layers and align the puzzle pieces? Or will he lose his own mind trying to unravel the complicated web that is entangling Neo Novena?
- Written by Ram V
- Illustrated by Laurence Campbell
- Colors by Lee Loughridge
- Letters by Aditya Bidikar
- Designed by Tom Muller
- Published by Image Comics
Read Reviews for Issues 1 and 2 here!
The One Hand Cat and Mouse Game Continues
Ram V and Laurence Campbell continue to push the envelope in this neo-noir thriller. Rabbit holes get deeper and conspiracies compound, leaving the reader guessing. At the same time, Ram V is leaving just enough bread crumbs to keep us curious and invested.
The book opens on detective Nassar and his partner Mac observing the scene of a huge traffic accident involving a tanker of chemical waste. The huge 2 page title spread is a fantastic way to introduce the theme of the book “Alien Territory”. Neo Novena is inundated in a haze of toxic chemical clouds and people in hazmat suits.
But why are these detectives here instead of the most current murder scene from the The One Hand Killer? Both incidents happened around the same time and Nassar. Most would think this a coincidence, but not Nassar. Being only a few blocks away from the murder scene, he believes that theres a connection, or even worse, something more ominous is happening.
Detective Nassar: Instincts and Psychology
Ram V has made clear time and again that Detective Nassar has an astute sense of intuition. He’s caught this killer twice already, with conclusive evidence, painstakingly combing over everything to confirm his hypothesis. He knows that this isn’t a copycat killer either. Thanks to The Six Fingers, we know how close Nassar has come to the killer on multiple occasions. He is so close, but he’s so focused on this case and the killer that he’s constantly missing the bigger picture.
When Nassar decides to visit the man he previously convicted for The One Hand murders, Odell Watts, Nassar is given a hint to the bigger picture. This visit was a fantastic pice to the bigger puzzle of this story, while simultaneously throwing the reader for loop. Odell is presented as either psychotic, or too smart for his own good.
Philosophy of The One Hand Murders
First of all, Watts carries a copy of Cormac McCarthy’s Sunset Limited with him. For those unaware, The Sunset Limited is play that explores the nature of existence. There’s a dichotomy presented in two different characters stuck in an apartment together discussing the meaning of life and death. Nassar and Watts compare in that one is stuck looking at things on his level, while the other has learned to see things from above, like the curse of knowing in a sense.
I love this angle and allusion from Ram V. For two issues he’s presented Detective Nassar as this old school guy, caught up in solving the same case over and over. His apartment is littered with old whiskeys, a classic cordless phone, and vinyl records. Most importantly, he spends all of his free time trying to find the robot escort that he frequented, now decommissioned, because he refuses the company of anyone else.
The Curious Case of Arivel Nassar
To put it in my own words, Ari Nassar is a man stuck on a skipping record, and he believes that it’s because of the needle. If he were to look at the vinyl as whole instead, he would see a scratch across the whole thing. This is what Detective Nassar must do to solve this case. Stop chasing the carrot, and see that it’s tied to stick being held by someone behind him.
The Art of Emotion
What Laurence Campbell has done with his illustrations and Lee Loughridge with his colors is transport us to this reality, make us understand every situation we’re in, and pull us in deeper. From the opening of the book, we are invited into “Alien Territory”, a blue-green haze against the black orange lit city. A contrast between two worlds, much like The One Hand and The Six Fingers.
Laurence Campbell’s style lends well to telling this noir story in a classic way. Characters and environments feel like a 50’s or 60’s detective noir movie. The black outlines are thick and prominent. It’s always the lack of definition and the heavy uses of black ink that really gives it that authentic noir feel. This couldn’t be more obvious than in the prison visitation scene with Odell Watts and Detective Nassar.
Speaking further on the prison scene is Campbell’s stunning artwork as it pertains to horror. It’s in this scene, and the grotesque murder at the end of the book that his talents for body horror shine. Each are visually striking, but the prison scene really provoked a sense of panic and fear in me that I had’t felt in the first 2 issues.
The Language of Color in The One Hand
Now this book in black and white would have been amazing, but the Lee Loughridge’s colors take it to another world. The black and white would definitely cement the noir status of the story, but Loughridge brings each environment to life, and the city becomes its own character in a sense. Palettes are used in each setting to set the tone. First, orange and yellow during scenes involving Nassar’s job, the detective work. Second, greens and blues highlight things involving the case outside of the law. Finally, pinks and purples highlight Nassar’s private life. What’s cool as that sometimes this colors bleed into each other in scenes that involve both.
Everything Points To 8.5/10
The One Hand has been a slow burn thus far, but this issue really made me feel like things are about shift into overdrive. Laurence Campbell and Lee Loughridge have proven to be masters at building the aesthetic of this world and bringing it to life. The character of Ari Nassar gets more and more complex as we learn just how simple he really is. It’s a fascinating development, really. I’m so ready for him to see the big picture. Each issue has felt like a tease, but I just know when the curtain falls its gonna be one heck of a ride.
