‘Stealth #1’ (review)

Written by Mike Costa
Art by Nate Bellegarde
Published by Image Comics

In the last year, I have been reading a lot of comic books by writer Mike Costa. His work on the Cobra titles was really outstanding. He is probably one of the most underrated comic book writers out there.

But that may change with the release of this book.

Stealth focuses on a young man named Tony, who is dealing with the crumbling infrastructure of Detroit, Michigan. Tony lives there and it just seems to be getting worse. He feels trapped by his circumstances.

Tony’s father is also starting to lose his mental capacity.

Tony doesn’t have the resources or support to help his father or his city.

This is a strong social commentary on modern times. A lot of people out there are in the same predicament as Tony in the real world. It is sad and heartbreaking.

There is also a hero going around the city. The hero is someone Tony looks up to. Of course, the hero is Tony’s ailing father. This is some strong stuff. And things only get more brutal as the book goes from scene to scene.

Costa writes an amazingly smart and sensitive script. It just hits all the right beats. The art by Bellegarde is perfectly wonderful. The two creators strike a balance and it is awesome to witness. This is a stunning debut issue that has plenty on it’s mind and plenty of brains and emotions to back it all up.

RATING: A