By Steve Baxi — Pornsak Pichetshote is an editor’s writer. Coming up through comics as an editor under Karen Berger, Pichetshote has an uncanny ability to see every gear in the assembly line of a comic, allowing every individual piece to shine without ever losing track of how the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Not only is that collective shine apparent in his collaborations, but one can’t help but marvel at his ability to create something that allows for so much different talent to feel perfectly at home with each other. There are no overzealous solos, the whole orchestra is in tune and on point.

The Good Asian Vol 1 — by Pornsak Pichetshote, Alexandre Tefenkgi, Lee Loughridge, and Jeff Powell — is the Rolex of comics. A hard-boiled, noir series about immigration policy, identity, and family melodrama, this is perhaps the most precision tuned book on the stands today, pooling together so much outstanding work, it feels like a night at the Eisners. Every element here from the overall writing and art, down to the details of the logo, designed by Erika Schnatz, evoke the essence of a great noir without ever depending on the genre’s formula.

Genres are of course fickle things, noir notoriously so. According to Leonard Pierce, “If you want to start an argument among film critics — and who wouldn’t? — ask any three of them to define film noir. You won’t get three answers; you’ll get nine or ten, punctuated by a great deal of exception-making, special pleading, and brow-furrowing.” In light of this, a cynical outlook may posit that there is no use for genre, that they purely exist as a function of the book market to help sort shelves and that no story can be purely delineated as one genre over any other. Perhaps there is some truth to that, as I find it difficult to say where The Good Asian lands on the spectrum of historical, crime, noir, romance or action/adventure fiction. The series glides between each of these elements effortlessly to the point where pinning it down seems unfair. However, bookstore racket or not, The Good Asian ought to be considered a noir not merely because it ticks all the boxes, but because its presence elevates the genre as a whole.

Noir is exceptionally well diagrammed; the beats are familiar and clear, with so many well laid out examples that it would be easy to just follow the signposts. Pichetshote takes every opportunity to lace that well worn path with unique, exciting layers that the genre itself almost disappears in the process. Edison Hark, our lead detective inspired by Charlie Chan and Chang Apana, guides us through the world of 1936 from the perspective of the first generation of Americans to come of age under an immegration ban. The Chinese Exclusion Act and its consequences are as much the star as Hark. Motivations, personal baggage and the stakes of our mystery all hinge on the various sides of the Act. This alone gives the series a political weight that makes it stand out in the sea of noir fiction. Hark is a character with angst we’ve seen before, but the root of that angst is tied to a complex relationship between racial identity, political orientation of race, and family conflict rooted in racial differences. We see Hark’s perspective, but his choices don’t always sit well, least of all with himself. He’s as morally gray as Philip Marlowe on his best day without ever relying on misogynistic tropes to get him there.

This series rewards the engaged reader. The layers may at first go over our heads, but returning to each issue reveals just how much was already seeded, and how carefully every page is laid out to be as efficient as possible. Educating a reader on a rich topic like immegration policy is serious, and difficult for even the best writers. But for Pichetshote, it feels natural and concise. So much heavy lifting needs to be done but never at the expense of keeping our eyes fixed on the action and hearts anchored to the characters. This works because it is in effect impossible to divorce these elements. Understanding the Chinese Exclusion Act is central to understanding the characters. From an educational perspective, there is no bigger triumph to me than coming away from a story wanting to read as many history books as I can get my hands on. Lucky for us, this trade collection comes packed with historical details and research material in the back matter. Pichetshote and historical consultant Grant Din’s work does not go unnoticed.

Alexandre Tefenkgi and Lee Loughridge take this opportunity to show us a twist on the noir worldview that matches the uniqueness of our protagonist, which works in concert with Jeff Powell’s letter to create a seamless reading experience. Edison Hark noticing the details of each scene helps guide the reader’s eye around the page.

The art is framed from a perspective that lets the red highlights sit naturally in rhythm with the word balloons, flowing nicely into the next balloon when in a text heavy scene, and creating a powerful hook that swings our eyes to the far left when we need to move to the next row. This team knows full well that detective stories are like magic tricks, relying on misdirection to conceal the details you should be seeing. Instead of simply omitting those details, they create a reading experience that allows us to take in as much as possible visually so when the twists and turns come, there’s not just surprise but a personal investment that screams “Ah! I should’ve seen this coming!”

The colors by Loughridge are as much responsible for the noir feel as the voice over and setting. A well established theme of a noir is that truth reveals itself in darkness. When the sun goes down, and the shades are drawn, we see who people really are. Here, the color work plays a balancing act between capturing that search for truth in darkness, with a pronounced purple for our shadowy world, while also subtly using brighter colors to help us understand Hark’s mindset. The blacks and purples are a particularly strong compliment to Tefenkgi’s artstyle which emphasizes a sleek, minimalist design. It would be easy to bury the linework, but instead Loughridge elevates it.

The choice of noir here does as much work as the words themselves. Noir is ultimately a genre about anxiety and fate. Characters make choices that doom them to tragic fates, or act in ways justified by what seems like the certainty of tragedy. Everyone faces a cold look in the mirror, and sometimes they just can’t reconcile what they see. The Good Asian transforms that looming tragic fate into the American dream in theory, and the immigration ban in practice. Violence, history, and impending doom all work equally from the perspective of what makes a noir tick and are elevated by the gravity of the subject matter. 

The Good Asian has the makings of a modern classic. Pichetshote’s voice for the genre combined with Tefenkgi and Loughridge’s art would be enough to sell anyone on a hard-boiled crime thriller. However, the pointed political commentary, historical relevance and creative lettering by Jeff Powell pushes this series to new heights for the genre. The Good Asian is a profound, expertly crafted series that delivers a new and exciting story into the library of great noirs.

Trade Collection Review: The Good Asian Vol 1

The Good Asian Vol 1
Writer: Pornsak Pichetshote
Artist: Alexandre Tefenkgi
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Jeff Powell
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $14.99
Writer PORNSAK PICHETSHOTE’s long-awaited follow-up to the critically acclaimed INFIDEL with stunning art by ALEXANDRE TEFENKGI (OUTPOST ZERO)! Following Edison Hark—a haunted, self-loathing Chinese-American detective—on the trail of a killer in 1936 Chinatown, THE GOOD ASIAN is Chinatown noir starring the first generation of Americans to come of age under an immigration ban, the Chinese, as they’re besieged by rampant murders, abusive police, and a world that seemingly never changes.
Collects THE GOOD ASIAN #1-4, plus covers by SANA TAKEDA, ANNIE WU, JEN BARTEL, DAVE JOHNSON, and more.
Publication Date: September 29, 2021
More Info: The Good Asian, Vol. 1

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Steve Baxi has a Masters in Ethics and Applied Philosophy, with focuses in 20th Century Aesthetics and Politics. Steve creates video essays and operates a subscription based blog where he writes on pop culture through a philosophy lens. He tweets through @SteveSBaxi.