Review: Clean Room Vol. 1- Immaculate Conception
Quick Summary
Pros: The story is interesting and presents a solid twist early on. Characters are all well written and add a lot to the narrative. The entire reading experience is thrilling and full of suspense. The art does well in complimenting the story.
Cons: The book’s theme seems a bit murky.
Overall: This is an intense book, one that fills the reader with an acute feeling of suspense on nearly every page. This is accomplished through the expert use of well written characters and a compelling mystery. All of this comes together to form a wonderful story and makes this a hard book to put down. Readers with the stomach for a little creepiness will find a lot to love within this collection.
Story
Clean Room Vol. 1: Immaculate Conception is a nail-biting thriller that is as entertaining as it is creepy. Writer Gail Simone pairs a deceptively simple premise with a twist that shakes the book’s very reality to it its core. In this story, no one can be trusted, nothing is as it appears, and the universe itself seems to betray the reader. All of this creates a narrative where a near constant level of suspense will keep readers hooked on an addictive level of adrenaline. This is a book you won’t stop reading until you finish and one that will leave you more than ready for a second volume.
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The book starts with a deceptively obvious premise. It follows an investigative journalist looking into a cult that has far too much power. The cult uses bribery, blackmail, and physical violence to achieve its elusive goals and has become large enough to have a vast influence over both the media and everyday people. Ergo, the cult must be the bad guy.
However, about a third of the way into the book, Simone flips the script. We learn that this cult’s goals are actually altruistic. They are secretly attempting to prevent some sort of alien invasion and are only using their highly questionable methods in order to do so. It is a unique and interesting twist that pulls you into the story even deeper than before. It also raises a number of questions about morality and the validity of ends justifying means that will be interesting to see explored as the series progresses.
Along the way, readers get a chance to meet a host of interesting characters who do a lot to add to the overall quality of the collection. Minor characters like Killian, Capone, and Chloe’s neighbors only receive brief introductions, yet provide tons of charm and humor. Meanwhile, the people interviewed in the Clean Room provide a contrast by sharing their horrific psychological trauma. However, all of this is secondary to Astrid and Chloe, both of whom allow their nightmarish pasts and enigmatic powers to drive a large portion of the book’s mystery and intrigue. In short, while the storyline and plot twists are great on their own, they are made even better by the characters.
Besides the characters, another one of Simone’s major successes is the way suspense is built throughout this read. From the first few pages, readers instantly get the impression that something is wrong with this universe. This suspicion is confirmed as the story progresses and threats, both real and imagined, start to amass. These threats keep readers in a constant state of suspense, as they are never sure if the cult will kill someone, if an alien creature will suddenly appear, or if another minor character will share a heartbreaking story from their past. I honestly felt nervous when I read this book and had to finish the entire thing in one sitting simply because I could not stand the anxiety of not knowing what happens next.
My only real complaint here is that the overall theme is quite nebulous. At first, it appears to be a warning against cults; however this is quickly dismissed. Then, a focus on mental trauma comes to the forefront, though this is not explored enough to become significant. This series feels as if it is trying to say something deep, yet does not articulate it properly. Hopefully, the next volume can clarify what it is trying to do, or else this otherwise great collection will end up being just another entertaining thriller.
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Art
The art here, done by Jon Davis-Hunt and Quinton Winter, is crisp and beautiful. Characters look distinct, the colors pop, and everything has a solid level of detail. Specifically, splash pages look great here and really help in highlighting the emotions found throughout this world. Clean Room is clearly capable of being beautiful, when it wants to be.
However, there is also another side to this artwork that also contributes to the book’s overall visual success. This side places an emphasis on horrifying monsters, gratuitous sexualization, and grotesque violence. By making such a sharp and distinct contrast, Jon Davis-Hunt adds to the horror elements of the book, making the threats seem even more terrifying. It also contributes to the overall tension encountered while reading, as readers never know if the next page will show them a peaceful household or a terrifying murder scene. This type of artwork is exactly what this book needs and is something that greatly enhances the overall reading experience.
Continuity
Clean Room Vol. 1: Immaculate Conception is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics. Thus, this title, like many other Vertigo title Comics, maintains its own continuity. This means you will receive everything you need to understand the story in this book.
The story here continues in Clean Room Vol. 2: Exile.