Read This! - Letter 44 (Vol. 1)

Read This! is made possible by The Gauntlet Comics and Games

Published by Oni Press, Letter 44 is tells the intriguing story of President Stephen Blades.  Shortly after his inauguration, he finds a mysterious letter in the Oval Office.  The letter, written by the previous president, tells Blades about a secret government space mission.  This mission has had next to no contact with Earth for the past several years.  While Blades goes about taking the steps to contact and learn more about the team of soldiers and scientists, the crew of the Clarke has more immediate things to deal with.  The discovery of a gigantic alien vessel complicates things, as does the pregnancy of a key member of the team.  Meanwhile, certain groups are aiming to keep the president in the dark about what's going on, and are taking drastic measures to make sure the public doesn't know.
Charles Soule (current writer of Daredevil) does a great job with this story.  It's well balanced between the space exploration and the political cloak-and-dagger tale.  Soule has a knack for tension and keeping the reader guessing.  As a reader, you're never quite certain you have everything figured out.  When you feel as though you have a handle on the situation, something completely unexpected will happen, leaving you to puzzle over how these new events fit into the bigger picture.  The art style of Alberto Jimenez Alburquerque fits quite well with the story.  Each character design is distinctive, so it's always clear who's who, which is very important with the sizable cast Alburquerque has to work with.  As well, his attention to facial expression helps to humanize the characters.  The art of the space scenes is especially well done, and communicates the feeling of zero gravity better than any space comic I've read in a while.
If you or someone you know is into science fiction and/or political thrillers, this is exactly the book you're looking for.  There are a few other volumes in this series as well, so now's a great time to get that Christmas present for the comics fan on your list!  The Gauntlet Comics and Games has got what you need.  Tell them Dave sent you!