Trine Hampstead knows everything. Ask her a question like “Where are my keys?” or “Is he cheating on me?” or “How are there perfectly preserved mammoths in recent ice?” and she just knows. She’s the Mystery Girl. The only thing Trine doesn’t know is how she knows—or anything else from the last ten years of her life.
Click the jump for a review of Dark Horse Comics’ Mystery Girl #1.
One of my favorite things about this book is that Trine knows the answer to any mystery she hears, but she doesn’t walk around all tortured about it. She’d like to know why she has this ability, but she’s still having fun with it. And I love her little sidewalk detective agency; she has picnics and sells paintings and solves mysteries. It’s not a bad way to spend the day.
The potential for fun short stories is endless, because everyone you meet is looking for the answer, big or small, and Trine knows literally everything. She’s not reading minds, she just knows the answer to a question as soon as it’s asked (and as far as I know, she does have to be asked, which is probably why she’s having so much fun; she’s not getting bombarded by images from every person on the street, she just answers questions one by one.)
Paul Tobin gives us a lot of quirky, fun characters, from police detectives sneaking around behind trees to ask Trine questions, to strippers trying to figure out who’s been giving them hundred dollar bills while they were on the other side of the pole.
Some of the characters are a little more evil than quirky, like the assassin who seems to be taking jobs not for the money, or the mission, but because he likes to kill people. He’d probably do it for free, but the money’s nice.
The art by Alberto Alburquerque is equally quirky: very dynamic and expressive, with great colors by Marissa Louse. The exaggerated poses and facial expressions took me a little while to get used to, but it stops short of being grotesque, so it grew on me.
Trine heads off on an expedition at the end of the first issue; she’s mostly going on a whim, but I’m sure she’s hoping to explore the one question she can’t answer: how can she do what she does? I’m interested enough after the first issue to stick with the series a little longer; I’m sure it’s a mystery that will take a while to figure out, but the trip looks like fun.
Written by Paul Tobin
Art by Alberto Alburquerque
Colors by Marissa Louise
On sale December 2, 2015
Preview images and description courtesy of Dark Horse.