We are all familiar with the duality of Peter Parker and Spider-Man, or Bruce Wayne and Batman. The reader almost always knows the hero’s secret identity, while the rest of the world tries desperately—and in vain—to uncover it. The Stranger starts from the exact opposite premise: what if the protagonist were the detective tasked with unmasking the vigilante?
It is a simple idea, yet one surprisingly underexplored in superhero comics. The writers Philipson and Patricks, and the artists Baker and Pinheiro craft an investigative noir in which the superhero becomes almost an antagonist—an enigmatic figure to be pursued rather than a hero with whom to identify.
The 1975 New York setting creates a gritty and melancholic atmosphere that fits the police procedural genre perfectly. The influence of Alan Moore’s Watchmen is evident—not so much in the plot, but in the realistic and disenchanted approach to the masked-hero myth.
The first issue works exceptionally well as an introduction. Rather than providing answers, it lays the groundwork for the mystery and presents a lineup of suspects that promises to be fleshed out in later chapters. However, the pacing feels somewhat rushed; at times, the scenes seem overly compressed. I would have preferred a more expansive narrative—perhaps devoting five pages to sequences that currently take up only two—to allow the characters to emerge with greater depth. As it stands, some supporting characters risk serving merely as plot devices, appearing flat rather than conveying the sense of real people.
The brevity of certain sequences—often lacking the “silence” or transitional moments needed to let time pass—makes some parts confusing; the connecting beats that would allow the reader to fully grasp the actions are missing.
For instance, there is one plot point that felt a bit logically forced: the detective almost immediately narrows the list of suspects down to the residents of a single floor in a building. While this narrative shortcut serves the story, the deduction itself doesn’t quite hold water. It is entirely plausible that the hero entered that floor and changed out of his outfit—discarding the costume down the trash chute—and then moved elsewhere using the stairs. A single line of dialogue would have sufficed to make the deduction watertight; for instance, specifying that the elevator cameras hadn’t recorded anyone passing through, or that the emergency exits were alarmed. These small touches would have bolstered the procedural aspect without altering the plot.
Visually, Baker and Pinheiro deliver solid, highly readable artwork. The action scenes are dynamic and the use of dark shading enhances the story’s noir spirit. I particularly appreciated the use of dominant colors to guide the reader’s eye—such as when a character dressed in yellow stands out sharply against a blue background—creating an engaging visual impact. However, I would have appreciated a coloring style closer to 1970s comics—perhaps a more limited palette or a print-style aesthetic that more strongly evoked the era in which the story is set. That would have been a classy touch.
Overall, The Stranger clearly bears the hallmarks of an independent production. There are a few narrative rough edges and details that an experienced editor might have smoothed out, but these are minor flaws that don’t detract from the reading experience. On the contrary, a strong creative voice shines through, along with a genuine desire to offer something different within the genre.
These opening chapters don’t aim for shock value at any cost; instead, they seek to pique the reader’s curiosity, inviting them to solve the case alongside the detective. It is a comic that prioritizes atmosphere and mystery over pure action, and therein lies its most compelling quality.
If the creators can carefully flesh out the suspects and refine the investigative mechanics in future issues, The Strangercould carve out a significant niche for itself in the contemporary indie comics landscape.
