Writer: Pornsak Pichetshote
Art: Alexandre Tefenkgi, Dave Johnson, and Sana Takeda
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 5th, 2021
Reviewed by: Rollo Tomassi
In this first issue we are introduced to Edison Hark. A Chinese Police Detective in 1936 San Francisco. He was raised by a rich white family that in flashbacks reveal wasn’t always a great way to grow up. Besides exploring Chinese immigration practices in the 1930’s the issue follows Hark as he investigates his surrogate father’s missing maid. This book aims at the style and tone of a pulpy detective story akin to a Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler crime noir novel.
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TOMASSI’S TAKE
I love a nice crime noir story. The clothing, the tough but flawed characters, and the twists and turns a crime noir story often take are what keeps me interested. With The Good Asain we have the parts of the genre but I don’t feel they come together enough for me to be interested yet. There is a cleaver opening where Hark is accidently placed in an interment camp for Chinese. It helps explain some of what Chinese had to deal with but also shows that even though Hark was raised by a rich white family, he too has to deal with racism.
I wasn’t sure if the writer was more interested in telling a straight crime noir story or wants to talk about modern racism but through the lens of the 1930s. While this is an interesting twist on a traditional genre I would have liked to learn more about Hark. In its defence this is only the first issue. Considering most Image series are really written for the trade I hope we will get more of Hark’s back story before the end of the series. As here we get a lot of Hark sitting back and providing exposition.
The art provides that noir feel. But as sometimes happens in these type of stories, some characters are hard to tell apart. Due to similar outfits. It tells the story fine but does not stand out.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Good Asian is told in the tradition of the pulp genre. It has some of the cliché crime noir tropes. But at least with the first issue it seems to want to focus more on Chinese racism of the time period. Likely in an attempt to shine a light on recent increases of racism against Asians. Which may or may not interest you. Depending on how much of a crime noir story you’re looking for.