Warm Fusion brings biotech and body horror to a gritty NYC of the future

It’s taken me a while to get around to any of the titles from DSTLRY, the relatively new publisher of creator-owned comics, but I finally jumped in this week with the series Warm Fusion, and wow are we off to a good start.

Warm Fusion is described as “a dark, sci-fi thriller, mixing the body horror of David Cronenberg with the bleak urban future of Blade Runner.” It’s set in a future version of New York City where it always rains, and birth defects are common in the population due to a medical disaster caused by a pharmaceutical company. The story follows detective Jarrod Hannover and escort Vin Young (aka Snow White) on an investigation into a series of strange and brutal killings targeting brothel workers. At the same time, we’re introduced to the immediately suspicious Nicholas Fleischer, a scientist working on an experimental treatment called Warm Fusion that appears to spur the growth of new limbs where they were previously absent.

This series has so much going for it, from the impeccable cyberpunk vibes to a script that really draws you in. The first two issues have some pretty intense moments, and the pacing strikes just the right balance when it comes to building mystery and clueing us in on some of what’s going on to move the plot forward. Also, Vin’s whole character is just cool as hell, I love her. Issue # 2 came out this week, and the next is scheduled to drop mid-April. Warm Fusion is by writer Scott Hoffman and artist Alberto Ponticell, with colors by Lee Loughridge and lettering by Steve Wands.