The Private Eye #2

written by Brian K. Vaughan
art by Marcos Martin
with Muntsa Vicente

And just like that what started as a simple background check for a formerly wayward rich woman turns into an off-the-books homicide investigation.  The Private Eye has made no effort to disguise its villain:  cult leader, wanna-be apocalyptic savior, murderer, and shadowy conspirator De Guerre.  Taj McGill's poking around into her own past brought him back into her life, and he repays her by stabbing her at the conclusion of the previous issue.  "Patrick Immelman," the P. I. protagonist, stumbles on the police circus at the murder site and promptly decides to drop Taj's case altogether to avoid run-ins with the law and, more importantly, the criminal underground who might actually recognize his password.

However, The Private Eye #2 really picks up when Taj's sister, and "Immelman"'s referral for Taj herself, Raveena McGill surprises the investigator in his own office.  Thinking he is responsible for her sister's death, Raveena attacks him.  Ultimately, her threats seem somewhat half-hearted since it takes very little for "Immelman" to calm her.  Their relationship, teased in the previous issue when he joked that he'd taken her case because she was hot, is considerably more familiar than I would otherwise have anticipated between the P. I. and his clients.  He even removes, temporarily, the dark make-up mask covering his eyes to demonstrate his sincerity, and she responds with a full-body embrace.  They have a surprisingly easy rapport and honesty, refreshing in a world of calculated deception and well-kept secrets.

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