Mystery is afoot: Nightcrawler #1

Nightcrawler-a whole new can of worms! OK, the new Nightcrawler #1 from Marvel Comics is not actually about those big, icky worms that come out after the rain. It has absolutely nothing to do with worms at all, I just had to get that joke out of my system.

So, what is Nightcrawler about? It is about mutants, particularly the blue teleporting Kurt Wagner AKA Nightcrawler of X-Men comics and movie fame. This is the first time Kurt has had his own ongoing solo series, and he is off to an interesting and intriguing start. Even though he has been an X-Man for decades, Wolverine's "Fuzzy Elf" buddy has had relatively few chances to get the spotlight. (There's a whole mess of mutants fightin' for story time in those X-books!)

In the first issue of Nightcrawler, writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa sets up a classic locked room murder-mystery scenario. A truly gruesome fate befalls a group of kids, who just happen to be patients in the Pschiatric Ward of the General Hospital. The killings take place in just four minutes, in a locked room, with no way in or out. There is only one survivor, and it seems natural (in the Marvel Universe, anyway) to suspect some mutant involvement. Considering the locked room aspect of this puzzle, a teleporter like Nightcrawler makes a natural investigator.

Darick Robertson's art really brings across the darker aspects of this story. His Nightcrawler blends into the shadows nicely, the crime scene is just barely seen but still manages to be disturbing, and the evil-doers of the piece look appropriately creepy. The art isn't all dark though. There are some hilarious background scenes at the X-Mansion, and the lovely nurse Palmer, to lighten the mood. (There really should be more white nurse uniforms in comics. Maybe someone should make that a rule?)

Nightcrawler #1 is a great start to an intriguing new series. If you like the X-Men, mysteries, evil psychiatrists, or cute nurses, there is something in this book for you. You can't go wrong! Nightcrawler #1 is Four ColorFantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week. Don't make Kurt Wagner cry. He's a sensitive guy.