Angel City a Thrilling Retro Adventure – With Preview Pages

Thanks to the publisher, I got a chance to read an advance digital copy of Angel City, an upcoming six-issue miniseries from Oni Press. It’s written by Janet Harvey — whom I had the pleasure of working with at DC Comics many years ago — and drawn by Megan Levens (Madame Frankenstein). And it’s a lot of fun! Here’s the official description:

Introducing ANGEL CITY, a hard-boiled 1930s noir starring Dolores Dare, previous Hollywood hopeful and current enforcer for the Volante mob. When her best friend turns up dead in a dumpster behind the Chinese Theater, Dolores starts her own investigation of the “April Fool’s Killer”. As she gets closer to the truth, the studios, the corrupt homicide division, and even her own gangland contacts work to cover up the scandal. Has she bitten off more than she can chew?

This incorporates so many elements aimed at me: a retro setting, with an entertainment twist, featuring a tough female hero. It looks glamorous when needed and dirty when that’s appropriate — as when a body is found in a dumpster. Much of the period flavor is established through monologue, well-written captions that evoke both American private eyes (a unique type established in fiction around this time) and the 1930s mood.

Dolores Dare and Frances Faye both wanted to become stars in Hollywood. Frances winds up dead, but Dolores, now a tough, hard-bitten dame, became an enforcer, as shown in the preview pages below. The dialogue is flavorful without resorting to cliché, while Levens’ art is solidly structured and full of attitude. You can find out more about her approach and influences in this interview with Levens.

There’s also a variant cover by Michael Avon Oeming, shown below.

You can order Angel City #1 now from your local comic shop with Diamond code AUG16 1792 (AUG16 1793 for the Oeming cover). It’s due out October 5. (The publisher provided an advance digital review copy.)