Calavera, P.I.

In this playful yet edgy throwback horror-noir from Finnegan (The Keeper), a heroic private eye in Los Angeles hasn’t let being dead slow him down. The narrative opens in the shadow of the Hollywoodland sign, circa 1925, as Juan Calavera disguises himself to break up a human-trafficking ring. Along with reporter Maria Valdez (his scrappy, platonic Lois Lane), he’s determined to tackle more crimes—until he’s killed while trying to stop a maniac screaming about giving the devil “more sacrifices.” Five years later, Valdez tends to Calavera’s legacy by licensing his adventures to movie serials. After her son is kidnapped by an evil clown on the Day of the Dead, Valdez goes to Calavera’s grave site seeking help. He reappears as a wry, smoking skeleton in a natty suit and fedora, and he and Valdez set out in pursuit of her boy. This first volume of the ongoing series keeps a snappy pace, even as Finnegan weaves in details like a prose extract from an imagined pulp novel, The Man with the Calavera Grin, or a pointed scene where Latinos are rounded up for deportation (“We don’t need papers! We are American!”). The pulpy script is matched with retro art, giving the whole thing a somewhat ragged feel. The rough edges will appeal all the more to fans of Black Mask–style pulp. (Sept.)