Very enjoyable and engaging steampunk supernatural investigation story with a great context and cast. The British Occult Secret Service (B.O.S.S.) are called in by the grieving brother of a man who has killed his children and himself. The man had been severely affected by the death of his wife the year before and his brother thought that his grief has lead him to strange and dangerous activities,. The B.O.S.S. team including Cal the stem robot and Sigma the demonic mouse investigate. The story unfurls very nicely, the reveals are very well set up and the conclusion is what it should be.
One of the substantial pleasures of this story is the way that it becomes clear that the Victorian era context is not simply set dressing. The social constraints and rituals of the time are central to the story, the much more contemporary voice of Sigma does not conflict with them, rather they mingle naturally to create a very convincing context.
The dynamic relationship between Cal and Sigma is displayed and demonstrated through the action in the story, the two very distinct personalities and attitudes emerge clearly. Ken Reynolds has developed the idea behind Cognition very nicely, the cast have emerged more clearly and the context had gained additional depth. One of the noticeable elements in the story that serves it very well is the way that Cal and Sigma, a steam robot and a talkative mouse are very much public figures, they present themselves as themselves to the people around them. Doing this means that they can function easily and naturally in the world, they are not oddities, they simply are agents of B.O.S.S. and accepted as such.
Sam Bentley’s art is a deep pleasure to read, the multitude of details that emerge from the stark black and white is remarkable. The physical context is solid and grounds the action, the cast are wonderfully expressive. Humans and demons, all are allowed a range of actions and expressions, the confidence in the art is a pleasure. Both Ken Reynolds and Sam Bentley are so confident in the delivery that the reader has the opportunity to simply soak happily in the story, there is no effort to convince the reader, it simply unfurls as it should.
What the Butler Saw, Ken Reynolds (Writer & Letters),
Ben Peter Johnson (Art) is a short story that gives a different perspective on the B.O.S.S. team. Ben Peter Johnson art is radically distinct from Sam Bentley’s and this is a great benefit for the story, the view from the outside deserves a different approach. The butler in the B.O.S.S. offices is writing a letter and included in it are reflections on the B.O.S.S. team. There is nothing new in the reflections, the butler’s voice is distinctive enough to gave them a sense of a different perspective.
Cognition is a smart story idea being engagingly developed by seriously talented creators, it has wonderfully enticing possibilities and is a deep pleasure to read.
