Villordsutch reviews Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency: A Spoon Too Short #2…
A Spoon Too Short is Dirk Gently’s most baffling and incomprehensible case. Inspired by the tantalizing alternative title for the Dirk adventure Douglas Adams was working on prior to his death, A Spoon Too Short follows the continuing adventures of the world’s weirdest detective all the way to Africa!
Following on from last month’s excellent opening chapter of Dirk Gently in A Spoon too Short [review here] from Arvind Ethan David, we are this month rapidly thrown 30,000 ft. into the air as our journey towards Africa is leading Dirk towards the Tribe with no Words. This in-turn will help him solve the problem of the family who have recently returned from a holiday that have lost the ability to communicate.
Again this month, as like last, we begin with Dirk wandering in a childhood dream; in Transylvania, he calls for his parents who we later discover his bond with them was either pitifully poor or non-existent. After an indiscretion with an waitress air steward, Dirk marches on to right royally upset the local park ranger who has just located another slaughtered Black Rhino. It’s after the existence of Interconnectedness is shown to be surprisingly real via the means of an ill person in America being linked to an hangover in Vietnam being linked to the Boko Haram, Dirk is then introduced to Mwassa – a large female elephant – and it’s here he believes he may have solved the case.
Considering this comic is a Dirk Gently comic this month feels surprisingly Dirk Gently-lite, and what’s even more bizarre he’s in practically every panel. However, this being said Arvind has delivered a comic that is not only quite mind-expanding, but allowed the shin-kicked Dirk from his quiet corner that he has been bullied into to explode out like a fantastic firework in the closing panel; redemption has been claimed after his atrocious introduction to Africa. The interconnectedness of Dirk’s world was delivered and the Park Ranger suddenly realised that this detective may not be the “Puffy-haired buffoon” he initially believed him to be.
Our mystery of the Tribe with no Words is touched upon as is the family back in England, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this unfolds; now that Dirk believes he’s solved it I would like to see what “it” is.
Both art and colours from Ilias Kryiaszis and Charlie Kirchoff again are truly splendid; Kirchoff’s palette especially around the African locations look fantastic. These two artists really do work exceedingly well together in this Dirk Gently comic.
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency: A Spoon Too Short #2 is another great addition to this series. We have nice nods to Douglas Adams in the book, we’ve got some amazing art, and we have a mystery that’s unfolding with some excellent humour plus a wee bit of worldly education to boot. You’d do well picking this comic book up.
Check out our interview with Arvind Ethan David here.
Rating: 8/10
Villordsutch likes his sci-fi and looks like a tubby Viking according to his children. Visit his website and follow him on Twitter.
Originally published March 9, 2016. Updated June 30, 2023.
