Started reading Letter 44 Volume 1: Escape Velocity this morning, which collects the first six issues of the series. It's a great concept: newly elected President Stephen Blades opens a letter from his predecessor which immediately changes the agenda for his first term. NASA has discovered an alien presence in the asteroid belt, and a manned mission was sent to investigate when probes were unable to send back good information. The mission is so secret that only the President and a few close advisers know about it, so it comes as a complete surprise.
In the first two issues we learn that it is feared that the alien's intentions are not peaceful. They're using some sort of electronic blanket of secrecy around the project in the asteroids, and they have made no attempt to communicate with Earth–something clearly within their technological capabilities. We also meet the ship's crew, a volatile collection of scientists and military. The commander has gotten pregnant during the mission, a fact which the crew has kept secret. And they penetrate the barrier, finally getting a good look at the huge object the aliens are building, which they dub the Chandelier. They're not sure what it does, but that's what it looks like.
That's just two issues! I think it's safe to say that Soule can't be accused of decompressed story telling.
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This title's been a blast. I really love the idea that the Iraq War was started because the president knew we needed seasoned veterans to face whatever would be coming at us in space... and how the new president, Blades, is completely undermining the old one's plans (and as you'll see, vice versa).
I need to reread the series up till now to get a better grasp on all the crew members -- I feel like their character has taken a bit of a backseat to their individual jobs, and because of that I'm honestly more involved in the Earthbound/political stuff -- but so far, the book has been a bunch of fun.
I liked the retcon, too. Everything you thought you knew about the former President's actions turns out to be wrong. Or most of it, anyway. As you hinted at, former President Carroll appears to be working behind the scenes to maintain the agenda he had while in office. So the politics are really messy.
But the crew of the Clarke is having lots of adventures, too. Either story could be enough for a comic. I like the way Soule juggles them. Most issues have two cliffhangers instead of just one!