Pine & Merrimac # 1: Gone Baby, Gone (Spoiler-Free)

Pine & Merrimac # 1 sets up an interesting small town mystery and will have readers hooked by the end of the issue. With a host of outlandish background characters, this detective story is refreshing and shouldn’t be missed out on.

This premiere issue follows Linnea and Parker Kent—the brain and muscle of a small detective agency on the corner of Pine and Merrimac (thus, the name). The first few pages introduce the Kents and quickly goes right into the supporting cast and the big case for the two to solve. It’s a well-paced read and the host of elements to consume don’t feel overwhelming or overstuffed.

Writer Kyle Starks has written a range of stories that offer tons of great humor. In a tonal shift, Pine & Merrimac appears to be one of his more serious comics. Despite it being a deviation from his recent styles such as Peacemaker Tries Hard!, Starks nails the mystery and drama in a premiere issue and hooks readers by the end of it. While I enjoyed the issue, I found it difficult to pin down an opinion of Linnea and Parker.

Surprisingly, these two main characters are the least interesting part of the small town of Jamesport. Minor players with less time on the page have more depth and are already more intriguing. While this is only the first issue, Jamesport, its inhabitants, and the mystery of a missing girl take the forefront and will likely be what draws in readers.

This isn’t to say Linnea and Parker Kent aren’t worth following, but for a detective agency that deals with broken and imperfect people, the Kents are almost too perfect. Granted, this is only the first issue, so I wouldn’t hold this against the experience, but I hope future issues flesh out their characters more.

The art and colors are done by Fran Galan and they work incredibly well with the story. As mentioned earlier, the extras in Jamesport have a range of personality traits and Galan captures their uniqueness incredibly well. Additionally, the art and colors change with finesse throughout the read such as a bright sunny day at work followed by a seedy biker bar. Galan has put together well-designed characters and there are small details that make multiple reads a fun experience as there are little details that could be missed.