Paul gets some clues to what’s going on in Fairhaven in Drowse Chapter 4 Part 1, by writers Frank Verano and Nick Klinger, artist Jaime Huxtable, and letterer Taylor Esposito. This installment is an engrossing little thriller, building even more of the mystery.

This one is a bit opaque, but the long and short of it goes like this- Paul finds the murder weapon. He goes into a trance and discovers the truth but needs a bit more confirmation. As the opposition prepares to make its next move, he uses his contact in the police department to confirm the gun is the same. He finds his way to a play put on by Marta, yet another clue in the whole thing.

This chapter of Drowse is wonderfully opaque, and it works very well. Verano and Klinger are playing a special game with this one. Supernatural mysteries come in two flavors- ones that are a little too convenient, relying too much on the mystical aspects, and ones that use the balance of mystery and magic to inform the narrative. Since the beginning, Drowse has felt like the latter, a mystery that is informed as much by the magic that helps Paul solve it as anything else. One feels like they are peeling an onion while reading it, working along with Paul to decipher just what is going on. That’s one thing that makes this comic so special; it’s just as much a mystery to the readers as to the characters.

While previous chapters had a Grant Morrison feel, this one has a Lynchian one. At times, it feels very stream of consciousness, with logic that feels right but is just outside of normal. It’s the perfect feel for a mystery story like this. Verano and Klinger are making something very special with this tale, and where it goes in the next part is anyone’s guess. Too many mystery stories are easy to figure out but Drowse rewards readers by not insulting their intelligence with a mystery that is easy to figure out from the beginning.

Huxtable’s art is terrific throughout. Something about the juxtaposition of his art style with the story being told makes it work all the better. He doesn’t seem like the kind of artist who could make this story work, yet he does an amazing job. The coloring is wonderful throughout, and he knows how to light a scene to draw the eye to the important parts. Huxtable’s talent as an artist makes all the difference in this book, taking the script and making it sing.

Drowse Chapter 4 Part 1 builds on the mystery from the first three parts. Verano, Klinger, Huxtable, and Esposito are hatching a remarkable story into the world, one that every comic fan needs to check out. It can be found with the other three parts at www.drowsecomic.com and is definitely shaping up into something special.

Grade: A