‘Clue #1’ Review

Written by Paul Allor | Art by Nelson Daniel | Published by IDW

When the mysterious Mr. Boddy turns up dead at his own dinner party, everyone’s a suspect! Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. Peacock, Professor Plum—all the familiar faces from the famous board game are back, with a couple new twists. But will Boddy’s Body be the last to fall, or is it just the beginning? Follow the clues and solve the mystery in IDW’s new CLUE series!

At first Clue #1 looks like another cash grab by a company trying to make a comic out of anything. Within the first few panels, it is evident we are dealing with an actually solid comic worth your time. Those who love the cult classic film will find this falls very much in line with that story with a more modern twist. Here the butler acts as the story narrator and fourth wall breaker as he talks directly to the audience.

Not that it is a groundbreaking technique but it is a welcome surprise for a book about a board game. That leads to some of the biggest standout moments of this issue including a brief cameo from an IDW editor. You have to love the fact his room was covered in other Hasbro related property gear. An example of how to do obvious product placement right. I mean this entire book is pretty much product placement, but hey that does not mean it cannot be good. Paul Allor and Nelson Daniel know where bread is buttered.

Is this book a must read? By no means is that the case. There is nothing deep here happening. This is simply a prolonged gag stretched out for a full issue. Simply this is an example of a creative team doing the best that can be done with the material they were given. A pun-laden book about a board game could only last so long. Hopefully, its surprise success does not lead to an onslaught of board game related comics that no one needs. For now, let’s just enjoy this for what it is.

*** 3/5