The Terrible Truth: Should You Be Reading ‘Clean Room’?

With Should I Be Reading… ?, ComicsAlliance hopes to offer you a guide to some of the best original ongoing comics being published today.

What if all of your worst nightmares were real? What if your most paranoid fantasies were more optimistic than the real world would ever be? What if those who seem to lead us to damnation are our only hope? Welcome to the Clean Room.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

There are demons. Aliens. Creatures breaching the reality of our world. Monstrous parasites that can tear us apart, breach our skin, control us. Humanity has told stories about them forever, but most people can't see these hellish beings that lurk beneath the skin.

Some can, though. Some can.

Chloe Pierce is a young journalist whose fiance joined a Scientology-esque cult, led by Astrid Mueller, a self-help guru, horror novelist, and billionaire. Months later, he blew his brains out. Pierce blames, Mueller and will stop at nothing to uncover the secrets of Mueller's organization.

But in the Clean Room, Chloe learns the terrible secret. Astrid Mueller can see the creatures. Everything she preaches is real. She is building an army to fight back. But it might be too late.

WHO’S IT BY?

Gail Simone is the writer and her credits include dozens of acclaimed comics runs, including Birds of Prey, Swords of Sorrow, Wonder Woman, and Deadpool. She also coined the term "women in refrigerators," to describe the sexist way comics sometimes kill off female characters as an impetus for a male character's pathos.

Artist Jon Davis-Hunt previously worked on UK comics such as 2000 AD and Judge Dredd Megazine. Clean Room marks his first major US work. He also provides art and character designs for this year's rebooted The Wild Storm series.

WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?

It's a dark and foreboding tale that reaches back to the dimmest memories of human terror and to the cutting edge of our newest fears. It intermingles abductions and demons, corporate takeovers, and cultist groups.

While there are a lot of comics out there that attempt to redefine conspiracies, aliens, and urban legends in the vein of The X-Files, none of them do it as well as Clean Room. One could say it's actually the first great continuing occult comic since The Invisibles.  

Clean Room is unusual in that it rarely seems overwhelmingly horrifying, but it's never light. It strikes a balance between horror and adventure that most comics can only dream of. Above all, though, what makes this comic special is you're never satisfied. There will never come a point where you're ready to put it down.

WHO SHOULD READ IT?

If you can stomach the images on this page, you should read it. It's dark, brutal, with amazing storytelling, with fantastic characters. If you're a fan of the dark, read it. If you're a Chris Carter fan, you're in for a treat. If you love Gail Simone read this book.

WHERE CAN I READ IT?

You can buy single issues and volumes of Clean Room on Comixology and at better comic stores. Volume 1 and Volume 2 are available at Amazon and from other bookstores.