In 1971, an unidentified man under the alias of D. B. Cooper hijacked a plane between Oregon and Washington, demanding a $200,000 ransom and then parachuting into the unknown. He was never found, and this case to this day has never been solved. Nobody knows who he was or why he did this, and the case file on his action is over 60 volumes in length. The case is still open to this day, and the FBI are still working on new leads.
Of course, with a story like that it certainly leads to inevitable assimilation into pop culture. From films made about his story to songs by bands and appearances in video games, Cooper has certainly been an intriguing and curious figure. Now Brian Churilla takes a stab (pun intended) at the possible secret history of DB Cooper and what lead him to the infamous hijacking in a brand new series from Oni Press, “The Secret History of D. B. Cooper”, and it is most definitely going to be one of the more interesting books you have the opportunity to read this week.
A mind-bending and quickly paced spy-game odyssey, “Secret History” shows off everything you could want Churilla to give you in an introductory issue. Churilla proved himself as quite the talent to watch with his work on “The Anchor”, “We Kill Monsters” and Brian Clevinger’s all-ages “Infinity Gauntlet” retelling, but this one issue steps it up a notch from all angles. With it’s exploration of the strange and ethereal to the tune of Churilla’s evocative and beautifully shaded yet somehow still bright illustrations, the book begins an intriguing mystery that leaves you questioning what you read by the time you get to the final page. It’s a smart comic, and a very sharp one at that which begs multiple reads, and the final page beyond the last panel offers up even more questions (that we personally can’t wait to elaborate more on once the issue has hit stands). If you’re up for mysteries, high flying action, monsters, drugs and teddy ears, you’ll feel right at home in “The Secret History of D. B. Cooper.”
Please check behind the cut for a seven-page preview as well as a variant cover by JH Williams III, and be sure to pick up the first issue this Wednesday at your local shop before it sells out.
