Ampney Crucis Investigates... Vile Bodies #[nn]

Simon Davis's painterly cover sets the tone perfectly for this inter-war supernatural mystery: a monocled, tuxedo-clad gentleman — Ampney Crucis himself — cigarette in hand, poses with cool composure against a split backdrop that juxtaposes an elegant vintage motor car and manicured estate grounds on one side with unsettling, alien-looking organic forms on the other. The contrast neatly encapsulates the series' blend of Twenties upper-crust sophistication and something far stranger lurking beneath. Ian Edginton and Simon Davis make a thoroughly compelling team for this kind of occult-tinged period intrigue, and "Vile Bodies Part 1" looks like a genuinely stylish place to start.