The White Suits #1 is a new series written by Frank Barbiere and published by Dark Horse about a mysterious group of killers dressed in all white suits who originated in the Soviet underworld during the Cold War and then vanished leaving questions and a trail of devastation in their wake. One such question belongs to Sarah Anderson, a current FBI agent whose father vanished in Russia at the same time, and to this day she’s not willing to give up until she has her answer. She’s not the only one with questions as this issue opens up with an amnesiac trying to put together his memories and make sense of them with the most intense memory has him wearing a white suit staring at the bottom of a barrel of a gun, then being shot in the head. He can’t recall everything about his past since he has retrograde amnesia but he can recall that he was a violent man as he struggles with remnants of actions he once performed while trying to find a clean slate at the bottom of a bottle of vodka. He can’t recall what led up to that moment or why he was shot by another man in a white suit but he’s haunted by the devilish grin of the shooter. And Sarah has been following him relentlessly for some time with the belief that he can eventually give her answers and lead her to those in the white suits who have become almost a myth in the underworld. But when killers in all-white suits surface in NY eliminating gangsters and caught on camera, it’s not only Sarah and the amnesiac who have problems but all of organized crime since all of them are in the crosshairs and their territory in jeopardy. With all these players in motion is Sarah in over her head and what can a washed up amnesiac do against an unstoppable group of killers when apparently he has already lost to them before?

The premise of this series instantly caught my attention with its mysterious group of killers dressed in all-white and its amnesiac anti-hero and FBI agent. And the artwork by Toby Cypress provides a visual style well-suited for the tone of the series as mysterious faces conveying sinister  or shady overtones seems to be a natural effect of this style. It works very well this issue. And the first few pages are powerful in setting up the series as those panels are just as jarring as the memories are for the amnesiac, while also giving a nod to the political machinations of the former Soviet underworld. And at the same time the protagonist in the series instantly becomes favorable because the intrigue surrounding the events that caused him to lose his memory as well as his past makes him dangerous but clearly he stood against the leader at some point. And this issue also does an excellent job in showing how dangerous the White Suits are and how deranged their leader is. So it’s perfectly understandable how the organized crime families would think of responding to this and a clear picture is painted of the current shaky status that could either be their downfall or ultimately take out the White Suits. For a first issue it’s remarkable how so much intrigue, structure or various factions, and character introduction could be done in a clear manner while still leaving enough for future issues. Aside from the recklessness of one of the White Suits that made it seem less plausible they could have remained hidden for so long, the characters were portrayed very well. And there’s plenty of action that moves the story forward in such a way that by the time the issue is over you’re satisfied but wishing you had the second issue available now.

SUMMARY

The White Suits #1 is an excellent start to the series and exceeded my expectations, which were already high based on the potential of the premise. The story moves seamlessly between past and present events painting a clear picture of the current situation while creating more intrigue and interest in everything that is taking place. The artwork complements the story well as it conveys the ultimate shadiness on the part of the characters in the story. And the way all the elements in this issue combine to make a smooth story with enjoyable action, this has instantly become one series whose issues I can’t wait to get my hands on.

Release Date: 2/19/14

Writer: Frank Barbiere

Artist: Toby Cypress