Co-Written by Vanja Mišković and Steve Ekstrom
Art by Antonio Fuso
Colors by Stefano Simeone
Letters/Edits by Steve Ekstrom
Published by Sumerian Comics

“A routine traffic stop for two Serbian beat cops quickly descends into corruption and betrayal as a dark trail of evidence leads to the discovery of unimaginable depravity. Mark Waid says SOKO is “Energetic and kinetic as hell, it gripped me from page one and wouldn’t let go.””

From start to finish, Soko is an action-packed crime romp filled with drama and intrigue. The creators aim to tackle serious topics of corruption and human trafficking in this crime story and do an excellent job laying the groundwork. One thing that strikes me about this comic is how, even though the characters are new and unfamiliar, the characters stand out very much. They all have unique traits that bring them to life and make them all feel very real.

As a team, Steve and Vanja bring to life this world packed with crime and events very relatable to some recent history in modern day Serbia. They aren’t afraid to take the story to places to truly show how bad our villains can be, which is important to show just how bad things are for our characters.

The art team is stellar and packed with talent. Antonio Fuso’s lines spare no expense for emotion and pack a punch when it comes to the action. We get such amazing dynamic chase sequences, followed by scenes without action, but, thanks to the artwork and paneling, still pushing the story forward in a dynamic and fun way.

I’ve been a fan of Stefano Simeone’s art for a while now and his colors in this book are no exception. He excels at keeping thematic colors throughout the issue and uses a nice muted, yet bright palette to bring this world to life. Steve is on double duty as a letterer on this comic also. The sound effects are very eye-catching and the word balloon placements feel very organic and assist in keeping the flow of the story.

Soko is the next hit crime book! It’s energetic, packs a punch and will leave you asking for more. If you’re a fan of what Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have been doing with the Criminal series you’re going to want to check Soko out!

Rating: 8.75/10

Soko #1 is in shops on April 19, 2023!