- The Smart Division #1
- Dark Horse Comics
- Written by Zack Kaplan
- Illustrated by John J. Pearson
- Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
- Ages 14+
- Published August 05, 2026
A dark and modern sci-fi detective series set five minutes in the future. When a mysterious new predictive artificial intelligence program appears responsible for assisting someone in the perfect murder, a pair of unlikely investigators, a chaotic Gen-Z savant and a veteran FBI agent, must hunt down the killer by starting the FBI’s first AI crimes division.
Veteran FBI agent Will Bailey gets partnered with young upstart investigative genius Stevie Larque, and neither is happy about it. Their differences held firmly in place, they get caught up in the murder of a prominent cybersecurity specialist who had been working on a special project to revolutionize criminal investigations. With that very simple but popular framework (senior officer being saddled with a rebellious young charge despite being “too old for this s**t”), Kaplan kicks off a story that could very well be pulled from tomorrow’s headlines.
Fresh off stories like Kill All Immortals & Only the Savage Are Left, writer Zack Kaplan has declined all laurels on which to sit. He’s leaving immortal family dysfunction & post-apocalyptic body horror behind to tackle the wholly improbable concept of predictive AI being used to commit crimes (wait…). His characters are sharp, & while they may be comfortably recognizable in their roles, I can’t say that they’re fully troped. It’s too early to tell how the “reluctant partner” dynamic will play out, or if there’s more to the story waiting for issue 2 (smart money is on that), but Kaplan has given readers plenty to chew on.
The artwork is an interesting choice for a story based on the use of AI. Or is it? John Pearson uses what appears to be a mix of traditional and painted illustration. What makes that a perfect choice in my mind is the way it highlights the outstanding results that come from genuine human effort, while pointing out how easy it is for technology to be twisted and misused. In this case, readers are shown how the best of intentions are used to pave the road to ruin. Pearson’s work embraces the perfectly flawed chaos in his creative endeavors, leaving panel backgrounds partially rendered to keep readers focused on what’s important, without even trying to smooth out every brushstroke. It’s all fingerprints left behind to show the human hand behind the art.
Or, just maybe, I’m seeing what’s not there and jumping to my own conclusion. Which should be the purpose behind all art: giving the observer agency to see what they will rather than using digital tools to get a more polished result. Hey… did we just come full circle, from story to review and then right back to story? That’s some Matrix stuff, there, and seems to be the perfect place to end this one.
The Smart Division #1 shows every indication of kicking off a great crime thriller. It introduces a chilling premise made spookier by its plausibility, and it leaves us hanging on a “No way, what?” moment. Fans of the classic whodunnit, or readers who crave a touch of believability in their flights of fancy, take a long, hard look at this comic. Don’t wait for the algorithm to point you down another rabbit hole.
Final Score: 11/13
