Synopsis
In New York City, a killer known as "Henry The Eighth" leaves a trail of decapitated corpses. There are no apparent clues, beyond the fact that he keeps the severed heads to use for purposes unknown.
NYPD Detective Adam Kamen leads the investigation, until a seemingly unrelated freak incident leaves him with an injury to his brain, in a section known as "Brodmann Area 10." When he recovers, Adam's perceptions of time are altered. He becomes slowly convinced that his bizarre condition could be tied directly to the "Henry" case and that the key may lie in the ancient, mystical practice of trepanation.
Reviews
Grade 9 Up New York Detective Adam Kamen is having a rough time. After his wife unexpectedly loses their baby, she divorces him. His new case, following the decapitating serial killer nicknamed Henry the Eighth, isn't helping his stress level. When he leaps into action one fateful afternoon to stop an apparently insane man from sticking a screwdriver into a baby's skull, it's Kamen who ends up with the hole in his head. He survives, but starts seeing some really weird things. Sometimes people look older, sometimes younger. Sometimes he sees things happen before they actually do. He confides in Dr. Avery, the beautiful woman responsible for his initial recovery. As Kamen draws closer and closer to the killer, everyone around him begins to suspect that he might not be as fully recovered as they first thought. Set in a noir-inspired art style, the black-and-white illustrations first highlight the characters on the page with deceptively detailed backgrounds. Each panel will draw teens into the action while the mysterious story unfolds. It's almost as if each panel is slightly out of focus, mirroring the idea that Kamen cannot rely on what his eyes are really telling him. Ryan Donovan, New York Public Library
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In a page-turning mix of science fiction and noir thriller, New York City detective Adam Kamen is on the trail of the serial killer Henry the Eighth, so named for his penchant for decapitating his victims. Kamen is a familiar character—hard-boiled, independent, a guy with a tough exterior but emotions that run deep. A head injury in the midst of the investigation gives Kamen unusual powers and leads to an exploration of trepanation—deliberately drilling a hole in the skull—as well as introducing him to a beautiful psychiatrist who develops an interest in his case. Gage not only has written for such comics as Iron Man and Spider Man, but also has penned episodes of Law and Order. At times the plot reads like a tightly written episode of that show; he even throws in a reference to Hudson University, where so many students have met their end in the long-running television series. The supernatural element sets the plot apart, however, making it difficult to predict the next plot twist and keeping the story from veering into cliché. Samnee's sharp black and white illustrations create an ominous atmosphere and give readers a palpable sense of Kamen's growing panic as chaos descends. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The lost art of trepanation, which involves drilling holes in the skull to cure mental afflictions, is an interesting, if grisly, topic in prolific TV writer Gage’s graphic novel debut. After suffering a painful divorce after his wife’s miscarriage, NYPD detective Adam Kamen becomes obsessed with catching a serial killer dubbed Henry the Eighth, who leaves a trail of headless corpses. Early in the case, Kamen suffers impalement in the forehead by a screwdriver-wielding suspect but, despite a supervisor itching to remove him from the case, apparently recovers enough to continue digging for clues. What Kamen can reveal to the police psychiatrist but not his supervisor is that his injury is allowing him to see things before they happen. Ultimately, this extra gift may be all that saves him from a killer bent on trepanning his victims before decapitating them. Illustrator Samnee sets the right tone for this macabre tale via striking chiaroscuro draftsmanship, while Gage’s first graphic novel script easily equals his best television work. --Carl Hays
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