Hadrian’s Wall is a tricky comic to sell. Firstly, because the 8 issue Image Comics miniseries from 2016 doesn’t actually have anything to do with the historical Roman boundary between Scotland and England. It doesn’t even have any characters called Hadrian, with any literal or figurative walls to overcome. The title refers to a deep space research vessel on which the majority of the plot unfolds.
Secondly, the comic is really hard to categorise. The writers Kyle Higgins and Alec Siegel would refer to it as an ‘80s space thriller, but it’s also a locked-room murder mystery, a procedural detective drama and ultimately a deep-dive character study of broken people struggling to move past the wreckage of failed relationships.
Even though it’s set in the future (2085), it’s filtered through a lens as would have been imagined in the 1980’s; outlandish hairdo’s and big shoulder-pads, malevolent corporations and floppy disk computer drives with monochrome screens. The painted art by Rod Reis walks this fine line of retro-futurism, and is consistently beautiful throughout.
The comic is not without flaws, in particular with the rushed pacing of the final act and the abrupt treatment of several supporting characters. But Higgins made the brave choice of avoiding the clichéd action-movie climax, and instead wrote a heartfelt final issue which provided cathartic closure of the main antagonist’s arc. Best read with a Retrowave soundtrack in the background, I’d recommend sticking Crockett’s Theme on your stereo and giving Hadrian’s Wall a read.