Mister Mammoth
Matt Kindt, writer; Jean-Denis Pendanx, illustrator
Dark Horse Books, 2023
This graphic novel from Kindt's Flux House imprint had a French edition, which indicates the stylistic feeling of the book. It is very European in tone, which suits Kindt's story well. Mister Mammoth is a seven-foot-tall pacifist covered in scars (because he gets into scrapes, but won't fight back). He is acknowledged as the world's greatest detective–he often solves cases almost immediately, without any need for investigation–but he has a problem with his current case. It involves a soap opera actress, and his client seems to be hiding something. The investigation continues to lead back to his mysterious traumatic childhood, which is intimately tied to the client. The conclusion is that to commit a truly perfect murder, one must have no memory of it. The story reaches an enigmatic ending, but the resolution seems clear. Pendanx's illustrations have the look of impressionistic water colors, giving a sometimes-brutal story a beautiful look. The collection concludes with a sketchbook and notes by Kindt and Pendanx.
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