Review: Postal Dossier, Issue #1 (Image Comics)

Written by Young Jeohn

In Postal Dossier, a maverick FBI agent uncovers an unsettling hidden truth. A town that isn't a town, a place that hides known criminals and even changes them before re-inserting them back into society. The problem is, he hasn't got any hard evidence to prove it - nor the authorization from his boss to poke around. But for reasons unknown to us, he's done it anyway, and with what he thinks is enough to launch an official investigation, he presents his findings to his superior.

STORYLINE
The story could have been better written. I never felt a feeling of urgency as I read the comic, as more than half of it was backgrounder material. I mean, how much fun is it to read through 12 pages of "file folders" outlining suspect's profiles? It feels like watching a procedural tv show like Law and Order, except you're the guy who has to sit in a cubicle doing the research on the suspects (*yawn*.) I might as well have flipped to the ending to get any story at all. 

ARTWORK
The flow of the layout was good and the artwork was ok, though the expressions and gestures of the characters didn't feel natural to me. I felt that a lot of effort was put into details that didn't need it - effort that could have been used for things that did. At times, I'd have to concentrate a while to understand what the artist was trying to convey. For example, simple anger or shock lines around closed fists would have been enough, but instead, excessive use of reflective light on tensed muscles was used with the hope that the reader would understand how the character felt. This particular reader (that would be me) did not get it at first - I had to stop and think about it, and make an assumption before moving on. It basically interrupted the flow of the story.

CONCLUSION
The first issue is very slow. While I understand it's important to set backstory, it could have started with something bigger, urgent and more pressing to set the tone and get the reader's attention. But it just felt so matter of factly, like a normal day at the office. While I'm not convinced this first issue is worth the read, the last page did have a potential hook for me where I was asking myself "who is this fellow that comes out of nowhere?" and "what does he know?" I hope it's a promise of better writing for future issues and hopefully, this promise holds true. Only time will tell.

FINAL SCORE
5/10