Dash #1 a Gay Twist on the Classic Private Eye

Dash #1 cover

Dashell “Dash” Malone is your typical 1940s private eye. He never has enough money, he’s got a wise-cracking secretary he couldn’t do without, and his latest case involves a mysterious, well-built woman with a secret she won’t share. Only Dash is gay, and he’s distracted from all of the above by not hearing from Johnny, his former con artist lover, for too long. Of course, there’s a murder, and the mysterious woman, Zita Makara, is likely involved.

Dash #1 cover

Writer Dave Ebersole and artist Delia Gable have put together a very readable comic. I particularly like Gable’s clean lines and period detail. It’s a clever twist, too, for Dash to be rather insecure about his relationship, given how cocky the traditional noir detective can be. Dash isn’t hiding who he is — although a friendly cop makes it clear his public exercise of his emotions is illegal back then — but he’s not at all sure he can count on Johnny. Plenty of snappy dialogue, too, well-suited to the genre.

Dash #1 is a 24-page color comic due out in September that can be ordered now from your local comic shop with Diamond code JUL14 1331. The series is intended to be an ongoing monthly, and I’m already looking forward to issue #2. Find out more at the book’s blog. (The creators provided an advance digital review copy.)



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