Crime Like Politics is Always Personal

"But robots don't die!"

Writer: Eric Saward

Format: Comic Strip

Released: December 2020

Series: Lytton #2

Featuring: Lytton

Synopsis

Lytton's inner sanctum has been attacked, the heart and soul of the Jazz Soiree violated. Investigating, Lytton and Wilson traverse the abandoned Underground station of Aldwych West. But what will be the cost as they go deeper underground?

Verdict

Crime Like Politics is Always Personal was another really strong comic strip to continue the Lytton range from Cutaway Comics! I think the three month gap between issues is way too long and I have waited up until now to be in a position to read them all back to back, as with the amount of Doctor Who that I consume, along with everything else going on life, I think it would be impossible to remember what happened in Down These Mean Streets A Man Must Go without having read it an hour or so before this one, but the continuation was immediate. Mrs L was still responsive but she was in a very bad way after being unable to fully satisfy the mysterious and potentially alien customer at the Club of Mr Longbody. I like the adult theme that this range is having and again, that's perfect for Lytton and really allows him to excel. I'm looking forward to seeing where things go as we have reached the halfway point, but I definitely got that sense of him being a character more for the adults. He is almost a typical villain but having him here as the star is a fun dynamic, because we shouldn't really like the character but we just do. I mean, that's why there's an entire comic range centred on him! This part was a lot of fun and it was nice to introduce some action to the series. It definitely helped with the pace as this one seemed like it flew by! I loved that we got Lytton and Wilson going into the parallel world through the portal of the vortex and getting that visualised was brilliant. I loved that the journey was presented visually rather than just having the pair arrive in the other reality in the next panel. It was a nice touch and the artwork and colour was superb. It really brought things to life. Wilson presented a new edge to his character which was good to see and gave him some more personality, and it was nice to know that he wasn't afraid to stand up to Lytton. His wanting to know what happened to the four attackers was nice and knowing that they were off to the Middle East in a crate was very effective! The Aldywch West underground was fantastic with the visuals and provided strong The Web of Fear vibes which I really enjoyed. That was a fun link and the danger and atmosphere that comes with the London Underground is always great. Artemis being introduced was good and I'm looking forward to seeing what she offers in the next two parts. We had a louse that provided some danger from the journey to the parallel world, and that seemed to overshadow the cliffhanger being a rockfall. I do hope there's more to that as it wasn't the most exciting ending, but I'm definitely intrigued to see where things go on the hunt for Mr Longbody. I'm also fascinated by what kind of parallel world this will be. Having Lytton encounter some policemen of his own in an alley was just terrific. I really enjoyed those parallels with his on screen appearances. Very nicely done. Overall, a strong comic strip continuation! 

Rating: 8/10