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Clean Room #13-18
Clean Room, Vol. 3: Waiting for the Stars to Fall
In this new installment of Gail Simone's Clean Room, go back to the beginning to learn how Astrid was first affected after her hospitalization...through the eyes of one who cannot see what she sees: her would-be assassin and brother, Peter Mueller.
Then, a young woman devastated by the violent loss of her husband finds comfort in Astrid Mueller's teachings, only to face the woman herself in the most nightmarish reaches of the Clean Room!
Collecting: Clean Room 13-18
Then, a young woman devastated by the violent loss of her husband finds comfort in Astrid Mueller's teachings, only to face the woman herself in the most nightmarish reaches of the Clean Room!
Collecting: Clean Room 13-18
144 pages, Paperback
First published July 18, 2017
10 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Gail Simone
1,049 books1,216 followersGail Simone is a comic book writer well-known for her work on Birds of Prey (DC), Wonder Woman (DC), and Deadpool (Marvel), among others, and has also written humorous and critical commentary on comics and the comics industry such as the original "Women in Refrigerators" website and a regular column called "You'll All Be Sorry".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
November 3, 2021
Solid ending for a horror comic.
I don't want to spoil anything but I felt like I was given satisfactory answers to the questions the story posed, and things were actually wrapped up by the last page.
So many comics in this genre just sort of do this fade to black thing towards the conclusion, because (I guess) they want to keep things vague or maybe the author didn't actually have anything other than a hazy idea how they wanted things to end.
At any rate, it makes me appreciate stories like this one all the more.
Having said that, it could have used one more volume to really dig into some of the characters' stories a bit more. Maybe Simone will revisit this someday and give us another look at what Astrid & Co. are up to now.
Still. I'm happy with the 3 volumes we got.
Buddy read with Alex.
I don't want to spoil anything but I felt like I was given satisfactory answers to the questions the story posed, and things were actually wrapped up by the last page.
So many comics in this genre just sort of do this fade to black thing towards the conclusion, because (I guess) they want to keep things vague or maybe the author didn't actually have anything other than a hazy idea how they wanted things to end.
At any rate, it makes me appreciate stories like this one all the more.
Having said that, it could have used one more volume to really dig into some of the characters' stories a bit more. Maybe Simone will revisit this someday and give us another look at what Astrid & Co. are up to now.
Still. I'm happy with the 3 volumes we got.
Buddy read with Alex.
October 18, 2019
Quentin Winter's colors made this a smooth transition to Walter Geovani on art chores. The fill-in issue felt out of place in the middle of the overall story. It tells the story of a Pawn that we barely see outside of this one issue. Felt somewhat rushed as the entities make their move. Considering the slow build we've had up to this point, I expected this to be much more drawn out. Supposedly, Clean Room is coming back for a Season 2, but this felt like a closure to the series to me.
July 19, 2017
Chloe: Why do you hate us so bad? You killed that guard for no reason at all. You gained nothing by it. We were already afraid of you.
Derica: Why? You ask me why? Because the cow goes moo, Chloe. It's because the cow goes moo
4.5 stars.
The end of what has become one of my all time favorite series!
This may be my favorite of Gail Simone's works and I'm so sad to see it go! I have hopes that someday AMC or HBO will snatch a talented director and bring this work to the silver screen! I would love to see these creatures, especially Spark, as live action terrors!
That being said, I felt like this wrapped up a little too quickly.
I've been waiting for the history/motives of these entities for what feels like forever. We finally get it via Astrid stopping by a barbecue at Chloe's house and telling her all about it over dinner. I don't know what I expected? A flashback, a text; I think I wanted an explanation that was more visual. Anyway, unlike Lost, I feel like the explanation was detailed enough. These creatures have a motive Works for me.
We get even more of Astrid coming out of her shell and I am surprised by how much I loved that? She's come from a character I was extremely wary of to a character I actually like and root for in the end. Her final showdown with Derica was fantastic! I loved seeing the way she's come to care for Chloe.
Chloe... Chloe I wanted a little more of. She seemed quite passive in this volume. I have to admit, I loved the progression of her relationship with Killian. I kinda wish I could've seen even more of that but we got just the right amount, I think.
I loved Chloe's neighbors in this! I loved seeing Duncan being a badass. Again, I wish we could get a live action series so we could get more of his background.
So, Derica was a pretty creepy ass form for an entity to take. I already find babies terrifying and talking babies are even worse. Add to that, a baby possessed by a foul mouthed demon, this is the stuff of my nightmares. This is my darkest timeline. There was something so jarring about seeing a baby say such evil things - and that was the point. Well done, Ms. Simone! This baby was more terrifying than Chucky.
The interlude confused me a bit. A whole side issue devoted to a character that only pops up in one panel later on? I think Gail just wanted to explore what the facility was like to basic members and that was interesting. Disheartening but it made me realize once again the sort of idea behind the series. To an outsider, they look like a crazy cult. It's kind of like imagining Scientology - except the alien creatures are actually real and the leader actually knows how to stop them.
I felt like the ending happened way to quickly and that may have been because I didn't want it to end. That being said, it was sad and I think it had to be. I will miss this series!
I may have to do a reread and see how I feel about this volume then. For now:
4 .5 stars.
September 4, 2020
After volume one of this series, I was skeptical. It was super weird, which, in this case, was more distracting than cool. And, I wasn’t even sure I understood what happened at all. I only hesitantly picked up volume two figuring I would give it one more chance. But, I did and it was better! I was really getting into it. With volume three, I have come full circle – this series was great!
While great, it is not for everyone. At times gruesome, at other times irreverent – the imagery is often 100% nightmare fuel. If this is not your jam – stay away! If this is your jam, you must hop on this twisted and wild ride.
Speaking of imagery, the artwork remained top quality for this volume. While I did not look for the specifics, I am pretty sure that the artist was not the same for each issue of this volume (or, at least parts of issues). Luckily, it meshed well and was not so distracting that it ruined the story (I’m looking at you The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 3: Commercial Suicide) This series as a whole was a joy to look at!
If you are into darker and less mainstream comics, this is a title worth checking out. Also, as far as I can tell, this is only a three-volume series (it definitely feels over), so there is not too much of a commitment. Just remember, if you enter Astrid Mueller's Clean Room, you are under her control . . . don’t kid yourself otherwise!
While great, it is not for everyone. At times gruesome, at other times irreverent – the imagery is often 100% nightmare fuel. If this is not your jam – stay away! If this is your jam, you must hop on this twisted and wild ride.
Speaking of imagery, the artwork remained top quality for this volume. While I did not look for the specifics, I am pretty sure that the artist was not the same for each issue of this volume (or, at least parts of issues). Luckily, it meshed well and was not so distracting that it ruined the story (I’m looking at you The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 3: Commercial Suicide) This series as a whole was a joy to look at!
If you are into darker and less mainstream comics, this is a title worth checking out. Also, as far as I can tell, this is only a three-volume series (it definitely feels over), so there is not too much of a commitment. Just remember, if you enter Astrid Mueller's Clean Room, you are under her control . . . don’t kid yourself otherwise!
April 21, 2025
This series was weird and disgusting!
April 27, 2017
I really enjoyed this one. It was a great little conspiracy theory/psychological-body-horror/demonic fantasy/alien invasion story, with nice artwork throughout. It's a shame the regular artist jumped ship a few issues before the end to work on Warren Ellis' The Wild Storm but the fill-in guy did a really good job of keeping the look of the book consistent.
It's nice that this book told a finite story with a definite beginning, middle and end but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to miss getting new issues every month.
It's nice that this book told a finite story with a definite beginning, middle and end but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to miss getting new issues every month.
January 9, 2018
Okay, I love this series.
As if the thought of children don't scare me enough, here's creepy, demonic, Derica, seriously making me reconsider ever wanting to have one. Hey, I like some kids, okay! These entities have a reason for causing chaos and destruction. "Because the cow goes 'moo,' Chloe." Yes, it's because they're evil and bored, and I'm fine with that. Did you need a deep psychological reason?
Gail Simone managed to make Astrid one of my favorite characters and I really liked seeing her be the badass I know she is in this volume. I wish we had gotten more of Chloe here but I still love her. Also, more of background on the side characters would've been great (Killian, Duncan, Capone, the Haverlin brothers). Seriously, I'd love to have neighbors like Chloe's.
It ending felt a little rushed but, overall, I'd give this 4.5 stars.
"Hell is real and the devil is coming."
As if the thought of children don't scare me enough, here's creepy, demonic, Derica, seriously making me reconsider ever wanting to have one. Hey, I like some kids, okay! These entities have a reason for causing chaos and destruction. "Because the cow goes 'moo,' Chloe." Yes, it's because they're evil and bored, and I'm fine with that. Did you need a deep psychological reason?
Gail Simone managed to make Astrid one of my favorite characters and I really liked seeing her be the badass I know she is in this volume. I wish we had gotten more of Chloe here but I still love her. Also, more of background on the side characters would've been great (Killian, Duncan, Capone, the Haverlin brothers). Seriously, I'd love to have neighbors like Chloe's.
It ending felt a little rushed but, overall, I'd give this 4.5 stars.
"Hell is real and the devil is coming."
October 21, 2021
And so it ends. Pity it feels like the wrong ending. I guess I just have a hard time believing that the entities could organise themselves so well, or even that they'd want to, or that they would be interested in A Big Plan.
We already know these are the dregs of their race, basically a bunch of psychotic criminals who are bored out of their minds. They much more seem the type to have sad little internal wars with eachother, using humans as cannon fodder.
And so we get a rushed finale. Gone is the careful ratcheting up of tension of volume 2. We spend a lot of time on a human serial killer, only because he knows how to fight the big bad, and he only knows that for plot reasons. We also get a short story that doesn't tie in anywhere, that issue could've gone into some actual storytelling.
The art also takes a step down - the new artists aren't bad, it just doesn't feel like Clear Room.
Disappointing.
2.5 stars
Buddy read this series with volumes 1 and 2, Anne and Mike.
We already know these are the dregs of their race, basically a bunch of psychotic criminals who are bored out of their minds. They much more seem the type to have sad little internal wars with eachother, using humans as cannon fodder.
And so we get a rushed finale. Gone is the careful ratcheting up of tension of volume 2. We spend a lot of time on a human serial killer, only because he knows how to fight the big bad, and he only knows that for plot reasons. We also get a short story that doesn't tie in anywhere, that issue could've gone into some actual storytelling.
The art also takes a step down - the new artists aren't bad, it just doesn't feel like Clear Room.
Disappointing.
2.5 stars
Buddy read this series with volumes 1 and 2, Anne and Mike.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2017
I worry about Gail Simone. I really do.
These six issues bring the Clean Room story to a close (for now?) as the Entities make their final move, and Astrid has to call in all the help she can get to save the world from these super-creepy psychos. All the chickens that Simone has laid out across the series come home to roost, and we get a semi-explanation as to why these creatures are the way they are. The ending wraps things up a little too quickly, but I think that's probably because of a lack of space rather than Simone not having a proper ending in mind.
I thought losing Jon Davis-Hunt to The Wild Storm would hurt this series, but Walter Geovani's pencils are equally as creepy, and there's almost no difference between his interpretations of the characters compared to Davis-Hunt's. Having Quinton Winter continue colouring the book also helps with consistency, so Clean Room barely skips a beat there. The guest art by Sanya Anwar is also lovely, not too different from Davis-Hunt and Geovani, but with her own personal style that gives the vignette issue its own distinct flavour.
Clean Room is creepy as all hell, and I love it. If you're reading Outcast over at Image, this is that story, done properly. Read this instead. But maybe read it with the light on.
These six issues bring the Clean Room story to a close (for now?) as the Entities make their final move, and Astrid has to call in all the help she can get to save the world from these super-creepy psychos. All the chickens that Simone has laid out across the series come home to roost, and we get a semi-explanation as to why these creatures are the way they are. The ending wraps things up a little too quickly, but I think that's probably because of a lack of space rather than Simone not having a proper ending in mind.
I thought losing Jon Davis-Hunt to The Wild Storm would hurt this series, but Walter Geovani's pencils are equally as creepy, and there's almost no difference between his interpretations of the characters compared to Davis-Hunt's. Having Quinton Winter continue colouring the book also helps with consistency, so Clean Room barely skips a beat there. The guest art by Sanya Anwar is also lovely, not too different from Davis-Hunt and Geovani, but with her own personal style that gives the vignette issue its own distinct flavour.
Clean Room is creepy as all hell, and I love it. If you're reading Outcast over at Image, this is that story, done properly. Read this instead. But maybe read it with the light on.
April 14, 2018
This is it, the final volume. All the threads are tied off nicely, and it ends pretty well, I guess. The pacing seems off though. Things seem a little rushed, and fall into place a little too neatly. I find myself wondering if there was some editorial pressure on Simone to end the series earlier than she had originally planned? It just seemed as though some characters--Doctor Hagen, for instance--could have been developed better, rather than being the one-note ciphers that they are.
As things stand, this is still a good series. There are some nice ideas here, and the concept is fun. Yes, I wish it were longer and more richly detailed, but it's still worth your time. Recommended!
As things stand, this is still a good series. There are some nice ideas here, and the concept is fun. Yes, I wish it were longer and more richly detailed, but it's still worth your time. Recommended!
October 11, 2021
This final volume shifted gears in way I didn’t like as much. This random guy shows up saying he is Astrid’s biggest fan. Then somehow easily infiltrates the building and takes over. I was like wait, who is this guy? I don’t remember him at all. So either they just threw him in here outta nowhere or he was set up earlier and I just forgot. ( with this book being far out there, I wanted to read the volumes close together as to not forget anything but got caught up in my Birthday shenanigans this weekend ) then in the middle of the book we get this interlude about this Mary character that I didn’t remember either. Not sure what the purpose of that was. We get a new artist in this volume but the art remained looking great. There were a lot of questions I had that didn’t get answered. Would have liked a more thorough explanation as to who these creatures were and how their “city” ended up where it was. Although it felt a tad rushed it was a decent ending I supposed but I was left wanting to know more about what exactly went down.
November 25, 2021
One of the weirdest, most disturbing, and yet surprisingly humorous graphic novel series I have encountered lately is Gail Simone’s 2017 Clean Room, illustrated gorgeously by Walter Geovani.
The series conclusion is wrapped up nicely in the third volume, “Waiting for the Stars to Fall”, in which: in an unusual moment of forgiveness, Astrid forgives Killian and Duncan; she also has a hot dog and a beer; Chloe is introduced to Astrid’s niece, a really ugly toddler with tentacles and hundreds of needle-sharp teeth where her baby face should be; some dude that looks like the bastard of Marilyn Manson and Pippi Longstocking shows up and takes over the clean room; the aliens/demons/monsters with potty mouths are set to take over the planet, but Astrid has something up her sleeve…
I thoroughly enjoyed this series, and I hope Simone may see it in her heart to revisit the warped and wacky world of Astrid Mueller. We kind of need it right now…
The series conclusion is wrapped up nicely in the third volume, “Waiting for the Stars to Fall”, in which: in an unusual moment of forgiveness, Astrid forgives Killian and Duncan; she also has a hot dog and a beer; Chloe is introduced to Astrid’s niece, a really ugly toddler with tentacles and hundreds of needle-sharp teeth where her baby face should be; some dude that looks like the bastard of Marilyn Manson and Pippi Longstocking shows up and takes over the clean room; the aliens/demons/monsters with potty mouths are set to take over the planet, but Astrid has something up her sleeve…
I thoroughly enjoyed this series, and I hope Simone may see it in her heart to revisit the warped and wacky world of Astrid Mueller. We kind of need it right now…
September 11, 2017
I feel like this series could have been stretched out over another volume or two and it would have benefited from it, and I can certainly see why this dark, gross, gory story would not be to everyone's tastes. There are questions left unanswered and threads I'd like to see tied up, and I hate when a series with a distinctive style that I love has an artist change (dammit), but all of that said: I just really like this. I like the dark gross gory messy violent weird unsettling horrific story that is Clean Room.
October 31, 2021
It’s on me that it took five sits to finish this book, so I think I lost some of the subtleties of the build and climax - but despite that, and in contradiction to other reviews that led me to believe this book failed to finish well, I liked the way this tied together.
Definitely has a small part of my brain rethinking Scientology. Which I sincerely doubt was Simone’s goal - she just took a trope and inverted it - but still is a fun conspiracy-within-a-conspiracy to mull over.
Nearing the end of the October buddy reads with the Shallows
Definitely has a small part of my brain rethinking Scientology. Which I sincerely doubt was Simone’s goal - she just took a trope and inverted it - but still is a fun conspiracy-within-a-conspiracy to mull over.
Nearing the end of the October buddy reads with the Shallows
January 13, 2019
https://leiturasdelaura.blogspot.com/...
http://popoca.com.br/sala-imaculada-v...
Depois de um primeiro volume confuso mas instigante, seguido de um segundo volume bom mas com alguns problemas, Sala Imaculada fecha com um terceiro volume fabuloso!
É até difícil escrever... O final da série é simplesmente apoteótico! Com direito a mais bizarrices e violência que os volumes anteriores, o que eu não achava que fosse possível, mas Gail Simone me provou errada. Ainda bem, sem esses elementos a história ficaria sem tanto poder de choque.
Porque é isso que Sala Imaculada faz, deixa o leitor chocado. Quando você acha que entendeu tudo surge uma reviravolta e te deixa de queixo caído. Uma salva de palmas para Gail Simone.
E ela consegue essa façanha mantendo a importância das personagens femininas com direito a vingancinha contra homens misóginos e homofobia. Só para acrescentar ao amor que eu já sentia.
Ultrapassou minhas expectativas ao longo da série.
http://popoca.com.br/sala-imaculada-v...
Depois de um primeiro volume confuso mas instigante, seguido de um segundo volume bom mas com alguns problemas, Sala Imaculada fecha com um terceiro volume fabuloso!
É até difícil escrever... O final da série é simplesmente apoteótico! Com direito a mais bizarrices e violência que os volumes anteriores, o que eu não achava que fosse possível, mas Gail Simone me provou errada. Ainda bem, sem esses elementos a história ficaria sem tanto poder de choque.
Porque é isso que Sala Imaculada faz, deixa o leitor chocado. Quando você acha que entendeu tudo surge uma reviravolta e te deixa de queixo caído. Uma salva de palmas para Gail Simone.
E ela consegue essa façanha mantendo a importância das personagens femininas com direito a vingancinha contra homens misóginos e homofobia. Só para acrescentar ao amor que eu já sentia.
Ultrapassou minhas expectativas ao longo da série.
September 11, 2017
So, in my opinion, we come to the end of the series that brings back memories of the horror stories the Vertigo imprint made its name with back when it first started, but this is a series that rightfully can stand on its own and add to that legacy. The four stars is for the entire series, as this volume's story feels a little underdeveloped.
No, I would not have thought Gail Simone of being capable of this type of work at the start of the series. A quality, writer, one with an eye for character and a sense of humor, oh yes. The ability to craft an uncomfortable horror story-no, and bravo to her for pulling it off. I would have stayed around for more if there had been more.
We get what I consider a temporary end to the conflict between Astrid and her "demons", or are they "angels", regardless there is a conclusion but a very opened ended one.
And, I'd kill to have neighbors like Chloe's any day.
No, I would not have thought Gail Simone of being capable of this type of work at the start of the series. A quality, writer, one with an eye for character and a sense of humor, oh yes. The ability to craft an uncomfortable horror story-no, and bravo to her for pulling it off. I would have stayed around for more if there had been more.
We get what I consider a temporary end to the conflict between Astrid and her "demons", or are they "angels", regardless there is a conclusion but a very opened ended one.
And, I'd kill to have neighbors like Chloe's any day.
August 8, 2017
Clean Room has really found itself in this third volume. The mysteries are starting to become clear, the characters are crystallizing. It's all starting to make sense. And that gives Simone the ability to step off the main path a bit. So we get a story about an obsessive serial killer and we get a wonderful one-off issue about how Astrid has touched other lives.
It's a terrific middle volume.
Oh, hey. Suddenly it's an end volume. The storyline does feel like it moves toward that ending organically, but it's all very rapid and it's obvious that much more had originally been intended.
Ah well, it's a fine end to a fine comic that was on the edge of becoming superior.
It's a terrific middle volume.
Oh, hey. Suddenly it's an end volume. The storyline does feel like it moves toward that ending organically, but it's all very rapid and it's obvious that much more had originally been intended.
Ah well, it's a fine end to a fine comic that was on the edge of becoming superior.
July 30, 2017
A fun, if slightly abrupt, ending to the first story arc. I like the strong female leads and the crazy mishmash of Scientology, demons, aliens, alien abductions, possession and exorcisms. The storytelling had the train tipping slightly off the rails at times, but that just made the journey more eventful.
May 30, 2018
3.5 out of 5
This final (for now?) installment in the Clean Room series is still weird, disturbing, captivating, and masterfully illustrated.
However, the ending is too rushed and somewhat anticlimactic (maybe too easy?), and I wish there was more of the secondary character development/background.
This final (for now?) installment in the Clean Room series is still weird, disturbing, captivating, and masterfully illustrated.
However, the ending is too rushed and somewhat anticlimactic (maybe too easy?), and I wish there was more of the secondary character development/background.
April 27, 2020
Wow, that was weird. And good. And weird.
May 28, 2025
A fair ending to the story, although so much mythology felt too quickly done. The opposing cult and the evil baby felt like they were introduced and destroyed too fast for them to feel like these epic forces. This is a really creepy story, good designs (some really creepy stuff), interesting characters and the plot is consistently revealing new information that keeps you engaged. Really solid horror!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2017
Clean Room's first volume was strange and intriguing enough to get me to pick up the second volume, which was downright good. Now, with the third volume, I was legitimately excited to see how Astrid's fight with the devil-aliens turned out.
It turns out bad. Real bad. This volume is a mess. The conclusion is both rushed and made more complex by having new villains suddenly be introduced two issues before the end. Not to mention numerous characters acting out of character. And the actual resolution fizzles - if you're looking for answers to the series' big questions, look elsewhere.
The art is still pretty solid, especially with the insane mouth/tooth/eye/slime combos for the alien entities. I got pretty tired of the jumpsuits after a while. And pretty much the entire issue took place in Astrid's clean room - yes, that's the title of the series, but six issues in a white space and the art tends to lose some of it's luster.
It turns out bad. Real bad. This volume is a mess. The conclusion is both rushed and made more complex by having new villains suddenly be introduced two issues before the end. Not to mention numerous characters acting out of character. And the actual resolution fizzles - if you're looking for answers to the series' big questions, look elsewhere.
The art is still pretty solid, especially with the insane mouth/tooth/eye/slime combos for the alien entities. I got pretty tired of the jumpsuits after a while. And pretty much the entire issue took place in Astrid's clean room - yes, that's the title of the series, but six issues in a white space and the art tends to lose some of it's luster.
March 10, 2018
The end of clean room (I think) and it is a good time to end it. Gail Simone created a good sci-fi/horror story but for me it was starting to become cumbersome. My major problem was the addition of new characters and some of the relationships going wonky, Chloe and Astrid had some weird moments. Overall the story ended fine but it did feel slightly rushed as well. The art remains a strong point in the series really bring to life the horrors of the series. Like I said I am glad it ended now because I am not sure I would of kept reading
September 17, 2017
The end tied up most of the loose ends, but I kind of just thought, "Okay, that's the end of the series?"
December 3, 2017
2.5 compared to the previous volumes. It seemed rushed and some of the characters acted out of character (or seemed to, there was no real set up for what they did).
February 24, 2018
Thanks to the local library, I was able to read all three volumes in one sitting, so I'll review them all in one go. The high concept here is, basically, what if Scientology was marshalling forces to defeat Cthulhu monsters bent on invading the earth? (Ok, Simone disavows the Scientology connection, but from what we see of the initiation process, it's hard to come to other conclusions) The actual plot begins with journalist Chloe Pierce vowing to investigate and bring down self-help guru Astrid Mueller after her husband commits suicide shortly after joining Mueller's group. Pierce quickly finds that Mueller's mission and Mueller herself are not what anyone expected.
I've read a lot of Gail Simone's writing over the years: her Secret Six work, the Birds of Prey, everything she's done for Marvel, the All-New Atom, Welcome to Tranquility, Wonder Woman. As a body of work, it may be more consistently good than any other superhero comic writer I'd care to name. But Clean Room is on a whole different level. It's hauntingly excellent, digging really deep into horror and the minds of its female protagonists. (And while it's something of an ensemble cast, Chloe and Astrid are undeniably the leads here.) Jon Davis-Hunt's art is an excellent match, too. He can do detailed facial work alongside the body horror that the plot demands, and the fashion sense is good enough that even the fatally fashion-unaware like myself can notice it. (Astrid comes from the Captain Janeway school of the powerbun.)
Mueller's organization never stops being unsettling, even after the reasons behind it are revealed, and while she uses the organization for good, the creators don't shy away from depicting its blunt power either. On the monster side of things, something that often bothers me about Lovecraftian monsters is that there seems to frequently be a contradiction in their depiction--they are simultaneously shown as finding humanity entirely beneath them, and unworthy of any notice, but also as harboring a deep, unabiding hatred for us. Simone crafts a reconciliation between those two points that works--though the story is always more about Mueller and Pierce and their relation to the monsters rather than the monsters per se.
The book isn't without its flaws. The Cuban detective character winds up being pretty superfluous, and there's a certain character introduced in the last arc who seems to come a bit of nowhere. But I'd recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone who really likes Hellboy, and would like a similar experience that doesn't take 100+ issues to unfold.
I've read a lot of Gail Simone's writing over the years: her Secret Six work, the Birds of Prey, everything she's done for Marvel, the All-New Atom, Welcome to Tranquility, Wonder Woman. As a body of work, it may be more consistently good than any other superhero comic writer I'd care to name. But Clean Room is on a whole different level. It's hauntingly excellent, digging really deep into horror and the minds of its female protagonists. (And while it's something of an ensemble cast, Chloe and Astrid are undeniably the leads here.) Jon Davis-Hunt's art is an excellent match, too. He can do detailed facial work alongside the body horror that the plot demands, and the fashion sense is good enough that even the fatally fashion-unaware like myself can notice it. (Astrid comes from the Captain Janeway school of the powerbun.)
Mueller's organization never stops being unsettling, even after the reasons behind it are revealed, and while she uses the organization for good, the creators don't shy away from depicting its blunt power either. On the monster side of things, something that often bothers me about Lovecraftian monsters is that there seems to frequently be a contradiction in their depiction--they are simultaneously shown as finding humanity entirely beneath them, and unworthy of any notice, but also as harboring a deep, unabiding hatred for us. Simone crafts a reconciliation between those two points that works--though the story is always more about Mueller and Pierce and their relation to the monsters rather than the monsters per se.
The book isn't without its flaws. The Cuban detective character winds up being pretty superfluous, and there's a certain character introduced in the last arc who seems to come a bit of nowhere. But I'd recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone who really likes Hellboy, and would like a similar experience that doesn't take 100+ issues to unfold.
October 18, 2019
Good finish, not great. It felt rushed.
This series begs to be read all at once rather than as-published.
Plot points:
This series begs to be read all at once rather than as-published.
Plot points:
November 7, 2018
Peter: I need cigarettes.
Astrid: No, you don't. No one does.
I got a kick out of that one.
Peter Mueller, Astrid's brother, has a baby named Derica. She is inhabited by a demon queen who has triggered the campaign against Earth and Astrid is the only one who can stop it. Sadly, the ending could have been better, but the buildup and superb artwork were worth it.
Astrid recruits a reluctant Chloe as one of her Rooks. She is to interview Artus Greenhand, a nut who calls himself Astrid's number one fan and claims he knows how to destroy Derica.
Astrid: No, you don't. No one does.
I got a kick out of that one.
Peter Mueller, Astrid's brother, has a baby named Derica. She is inhabited by a demon queen who has triggered the campaign against Earth and Astrid is the only one who can stop it. Sadly, the ending could have been better, but the buildup and superb artwork were worth it.
Astrid recruits a reluctant Chloe as one of her Rooks. She is to interview Artus Greenhand, a nut who calls himself Astrid's number one fan and claims he knows how to destroy Derica.
January 6, 2018
This trade really benefitted from the (perhaps too-fast) acceleration in the last couple of issues. It seems like all at once we were really moving—finding out Astrid’s true intentions with her mission, seeing Chloe accept a role in the grand mechanism of the plan, watching as a few Chekhov’s gun promises from earlier are made good on.
Not that this first big arc of Clean Room ever suffered from dragging on or going too far down avenues that didn’t matter, but the quick movements and high action really made up for how long it took me to figure out what Astrid was up to.
I’m not sure how much more of the book is planned for it to reach completion, but I’ve still got plenty of questions about the origin of the cult/monster fighting saviors, where Astrid’s huge fortune comes from, what happens now that these demon dickheads are going to run wild, etc. This has been a fun series thus far despite how much I complain about not understanding character’s motivations (Astrid) actions (Chloe’s big 180 on Astrid and her crew) or powers (pretty much everyone). I’ll keep reading if they keep coming out!
Not that this first big arc of Clean Room ever suffered from dragging on or going too far down avenues that didn’t matter, but the quick movements and high action really made up for how long it took me to figure out what Astrid was up to.
I’m not sure how much more of the book is planned for it to reach completion, but I’ve still got plenty of questions about the origin of the cult/monster fighting saviors, where Astrid’s huge fortune comes from, what happens now that these demon dickheads are going to run wild, etc. This has been a fun series thus far despite how much I complain about not understanding character’s motivations (Astrid) actions (Chloe’s big 180 on Astrid and her crew) or powers (pretty much everyone). I’ll keep reading if they keep coming out!
July 31, 2017
Admittedly a lot of time has gone by since I read Vol. 2. So as I was reading Vol. 3 I wasn't even pretending to be up to speed (or even remember much) of what the overall story is/was about. I do remember reading the synopsis for Vol. 1, being intrigued about reading a story about a cult and then being quite surprised at the story that unfolded. It went in directions I wasn't expecting and that I wasn't entirely sure I wanted.
So the trick (for me) is not to review the story I wanted or expected, but the story I actually read. Vol. 3 brings the initial storyline to a fitting conclusion. Simone maintains the elements that's she's been working with from the first issue and manages to conclude the story satisfactorily. While the character of Astrid seems to undergo a bit of a transformation that I wasn't entirely sure fit, the writing for the character was masterful so I was able to believe in it.
The back cover of Volume 3 states that this concludes the initial main storyline. I am curious to see where the story goes from here in Vol. 4.
So the trick (for me) is not to review the story I wanted or expected, but the story I actually read. Vol. 3 brings the initial storyline to a fitting conclusion. Simone maintains the elements that's she's been working with from the first issue and manages to conclude the story satisfactorily. While the character of Astrid seems to undergo a bit of a transformation that I wasn't entirely sure fit, the writing for the character was masterful so I was able to believe in it.
The back cover of Volume 3 states that this concludes the initial main storyline. I am curious to see where the story goes from here in Vol. 4.
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