There's something rotten in Fairhaven in Drowse Chapters 1-3, written by writers Frank Verano and Nick Klinger, artist Jaime Huxtable, and letterer Taylor Esposito. Drowse lays out a fascinating mystery in these first three chapters, and the team does a great job of grabbing readers with this webcomic.

Synopsizing this comic is kind of challenging to do; the website it's found on- www.drowsecomic.com- has a synopsis for the events leading up to the book. Basically, the disappearance of a young man leads detective Paul Caine into a mind-boggling that also involves a grassroots organization agitating among the working class of Fairhaven that has ties to Germany in 1939. The first chapter lays out the mystery, how Caine gets involved and introduces readers to the movement's leader. The second starts out in Germany and then returns to the present to focus on the People's Project organization. The third has Caine looking for clues around the city using a strange machine while a member of the People's Project, Sonja, leaves and goes to Paradigm Press… but she's been followed.

Drowse is an interesting experience, and the first three chapters do a lot to lay down the groundwork for that. The story takes place in 1969, and Verano and Klinger's Fairhaven has a lot bubbling under the surface, and they play that up. The mystery- the disappearance of a young man at a party- feels like the tip of an iceberg. The writers build up a nice atmosphere throughout the webcomic. There's more going on than meets the eye, with everything- Caine, the city, the People's Project. There's an opaqueness to events that feels right. The website's synopsis sells the book as a lo-fi supernatural crime series, and these first three chapters do a great job of playing that out.

There's a lot to love about this webcomic right off the bat. Some disquieting scenes really whet the appetite, a mysterious machine that Caine uses to help him out, and strange runes throughout the town. Caine has a history in the town that readers get a glimpse of in the first and third chapters. The People's Movement likewise has a lot going on, as evidenced by the events of the second and third chapters. One of the best things so far about this webcomic is that there's no telling where the whole thing is going, and it's refreshing.

Huxtable's art has a Jeff Lemire quality, but the linework and coloring are pretty different. The art perfectly captures the feeling of disquiet of the script and brings it all to life. Some chilling scenes feel like glimpses behind the curtain of reality, and Huxtable's art does a great job of presenting them. This is a strange world, and the art gets that across.

Drowse is an exciting story. The creative team does a tremendous job of laying out the mystery and gives the reader tantalizing glimpses of what's going on. These first three chapters are an excellent start for a great story.

Grade: A-