Denver Moon: Metamorphosis (Graphic Novel Prequel)

by Warren Hammond, Joshua Viola, Aaron Lovett (Illustrator)

Overview

A Graphic Novel Prequel to Denver Moon: The Minds of Mars

Denver Moon is Mars' top private eye. She works the tunnels of Mars City, a struggling colony ravaged by the mysterious red fever. Her latest client, Jard Calder, is demanding results. Someone is dismembering the pimp's prostitutes and salvaging their body parts. But since the victims are robots instead of humans, is it really murder?

Based on the short story Metamorphosis

Written by Warren Hammond and Joshua Viola
Illustrated by Aaron Lovett

Collects comic book issues 1-3
Short story, concept art and more!

Chapter One: Murder on Mars
A murderer stalks the botsie parlors of Mars, viciously dismembering prostitues and salvaging their body parts. Denver Moon, P.I., is hired to solve the robocides.

Chapter Two: Rafe's Revenge
The key to cracking the case lies buried in the deepest tunnels of Mars. Denver will stop at nothing to unearth the truth, even if it means diggung up the demons of her past.

Chapter Three: Transformations
The killer is in Denver's reach. The case is almost closed. But the truth she seeks might only be the first step in answering her biggest question: What is human?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780999773659
Publisher:	Hex Publishers LLC
Publication date:	12/18/2018
Series:	Denver Moon
Pages:	130
Product dimensions:	6.63(w) x 10.25(h) x 0.34(d)

About the Author

Warren Hammond lives in Denver, Colorado, where he’s working on a sequel, EX-KOP.

Editorial Reviews

"A searing mystery with a superlative, gun-toting protagonist."

—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

"...recommended for all fans of speculative mysteries."

—Publishers Weekly

"Take the Mars of Total Recall, the cybertech of Ghost in the Shell, the noir of Blade Runner, the action of Cowboy Bebop, and accelerate them to twelve times Earth escape velocity, then you will find yourself with the pure awesome joy that is Denver Moon."

—Mathew Kressel, multiple Nebula Award and World Fantasy Award finalist

"Denver Moon: The Minds of Mars combines Blade Runner and the original Total Recall with a dash of old-school detective noir that is hard to put down and leaves the reader wanting more.”

—Indiereader

"...reminiscent of the original Total Recall: full of odd characters, dark passages and seedy levels of living beneath a harsh environment."

—RT BOOK REVIEWS

"This is cinematic science fiction, moving at a fast pace and building up a complex world."

—CLARION REVIEWS

From the Publisher

★ 2019-01-29

An ultracool Mars private eye works a case of robocide in this sci-fi prequel.

Destroying a robot, or botsie, on Mars is akin to murder and consequently a felony. When Jard Calder, a botstringer who runs botsies for prostitution, loses several of them to robocide, he hires Denver Moon. Someone has pulled only a part or two from each botsie and stolen its chip as well. With help from Smith, an artificial intelligence installed in Denver's gun, the detective surmises the murder weapon is a mining tool. As Denver injected Smith with a copy of her grandfather's memories, the AI often treats her like a beloved granddaughter and is protective of her. And she may need protection when her search for a murder suspect leads her to Blevin's Mine, where someone from Denver's past is invested in seeking revenge against her. Fighting to stay alive soon takes precedence over the case before she ultimately ends up in Mars City's precarious lower levels. This is where Denver unravels the mystery, though the motive for robocide is not as straightforward as she may have anticipated. This graphic novel by the team of Hammond and Viola (Denver Moon: The Minds of Mars, 2018, etc.) is a collection of three comic-book issues. It's an adaptation of the authors' short story, which is included at the volume's end, along with a gallery and concept art. Though the fast-paced narrative is brief, it proficiently displays Denver's laudable qualities. She's coolly apathetic, suggesting Jard find another investigator if he's unhappy with her efforts, and composed even when certain she's in danger. Smith is a stellar companion, convinced that, despite being an AI, it loves Denver. Furthermore, the classic Smith & Wesson revolver's "cannon mode" transforms it into a more powerful weapon. The dialogue is often brief but witty. Denver, for example, promises to buy Smith a new battery if they survive men out for her blood. The short story's descriptive prose is akin to the novel's illustrations: A shot from Smith "sliced through" people, "scattering their lifeless bodies across the floor." Lovett's (Boomer and Friends!, 2017, etc.) exemplary artwork makes the white-haired Japanese heroine look both formidable and chic. Panels are likewise vibrant, from the shadowy, blue-tinged lower levels to Denver's monochromatic perspective in sharp black and white.

The skilled, perpetually poised detective shines brightly in this series, be it a novel, comic book, or any other format.

Kirkus Reviews