What Do You Call a Seven Foot Pacifist Detective Covered in Scars? Meet Matt Kindt’s ‘Mister Mammoth’ (review)

Written by Matt Kindt
Art by Jean-Denis Pendanx
Published by Flux House /
Dark Horse Comics

Looking more than a little like Mickey Rourke in Sin City or, at times, Ben Grimm, or the Hulk as “Mr. Fixit,” Mister Mammoth is famous for two things—being the world’s greatest private detective, and being the world’s greatest pacifist.

Considering the business he’s in, the seven-foot tall sleuth has picked up a considerable amount of permanent scars from his unwillingness to fight.

In this Dark Horse Graphic Novel, published via Kindt’s new Flux House imprint, we meet Mister Mammoth and follow along on his latest case.

That’s all well and good, leading up to a twist ending I wasn’t expecting.

Had I read the back cover, first, however, I might have guessed it, or at least suspected it, as the text there hints strongly at the twist.

Created by Matt Kindt and Jean-Denis Pendanx, the graphic novel feels unevenly paced much of the time, and with a confusing backstory that morphs the whole thing from a mystery to more of a science fiction story by the end.

The moody artwork is the best part of the book, with lots of evocative vistas, both urban and otherwise, and some creative panel usage.

There are plenty more sketches and fully rendered works bringing up the rear.

Although I admit to enjoying parts of Mister Mammoth, as well as its core concept, the pacing issue and the abrupt change in tone toward the end really felt off and I can’t quite bring myself to recommend it.