Books of the Week: Whiteout and Whiteout: Melt, by Greg Rucka
I've read and enjoyed Greg Rucka's excellent Atticus Kodiak novels, but Whiteout was the first time I'd picked up one of his graphic novels. Both volumes feature US Marshal Carrie Stetko investigating crimes set in Antarctica - and while Rucka's a solid storyteller, it's Steve Lieber's illustrations that elevate the storyline into something else altogether.

I'm no stranger to 40 below, but at least I live in a part of the world where as long as you respect the climate, you're likely to survive it. The only thing respect alone will buy you in Antarctica is a very little more time. What I particularly like is the way Lieber's artwork invokes both the shadowy noir aspects of the investigation and the looming omnipresence of the ice, as if it's an additional character that's both amoral and lethal.