Profane #1: A Mystery Within a Mystery

A gruesome murder needs to be solved in the new detective series Profane. But it’s all a mystery within a mystery. As such, Profane #1 is an unorthodox way to begin what might be an unorthodox detective series. It’s not perfect, but it does succeed more often than not.

Will Profane is a private investigator. He’s investigating a murder when Profane #1 begins. But after a sudden shock, Will finds himself in a bar with no memory of how he got there. This isn’t a unique occurrence. Indeed, Will doesn’t remember most of his past. In the bar he meets a woman named Honor De’ath. He takes her home and she tries to kill him. The incident calls to mind past cases. Will has the ability to scry–to divine or see–and he uses it to aid in his investigations. In this case it points Will toward mystery author Spud Coltrane who is somehow tied to his case.

Profane #1 announces what it is–or at least what it appears to be–right from the start. The first person narration and the choice of phrasing calls to mind older, pulpier detective stories. Will’s narration isn’t bad, but it is frequently inelegant. Indeed, it seemed somewhat below the standard expected of Milligan’s work. In what proves to be an amusing choice, though, in-universe events explain why Will’s narration is clunky at times. It’s impossible to go into further detail without spoiling the back half of the book. But the twist takes what at first seems like strangely substandard Milligan writing and ultimately delivers a standout and very clever reversal.

Shrouding Will’s history in mystery creates a compelling story thread right from the start in Profane #1. As a detective in this kind of story, Will doesn’t really stand out from other characters in his vein. And as noted, his narration isn’t the most profound. This strange mystery, compounded by his ability to scry, sets him apart early in the issue. The revelation at the end of the issue explains away some of this mystery, but the nature of the revelation actually makes Will more interesting despite the loss of this compelling part of his character.

Fernandez and Marchisio push back against the visual style that so often accompanies detective comics. Whether it be an obvious head turn during a conversation, an unsubtle smile or frown in the face of a new development or new information, or a wide eyed, jaw dropping response to shock, the characters that populate Profane #1 are not subtle when they emote. Will isn’t a tight lipped, cards close to his vest, unfeeling detective. Indeed, he’s the kind of person that a seasoned poker player would love to play against.

The issue’s color choices reinforce this visually open feeling. Shadows aren’t achieved via subtly changing shading; they are instead fields of black that typically run in straight lines and contrast sharply with the rest of the environment. Additionally, light sources don’t really affect the setting. Colors don’t grow more or less vibrant based on where light should be coming from nor is there a lot of shading to signify shadows generated by a consistent light source.

These and other artistic decisions that don’t conform to the stereotypical detective or crime comic create a contrast that makes Profane #1 immediately engaging. Whereas Will isn’t the most gripping character to start, the art makes the comic compelling even in those moments when the main character isn’t. Further, the art style feels more connected to this story’s actual nature.

Lettering in Profane #1 is fairly simple. There are a few sound effects, but nothing that demands extra attention. Nor are there many instances of dialogue effects. The exceptional lettering choice is actually the most simple one. Will’s internal monologue is told via plain black font in plain white caption boxes. Like the art and color, the simplicity pushes against type.