The story deals with an influx of a new drug called “Miami Bath Salts” and the efforts of our unconventional heroes Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs to find the source.  Almost everybody who tries the new drug becomes, for all intents and purposes, irreversible zombies. The drug lord is a practitioner of voodoo, and is reminiscent of Disney’s Doctor Facilier, albeit much darker. The five-issue run ends on a cliffhanger, so the issue of whether or not the use of voodoo is problematic is hard to gauge. In fact, the only issue (pun!) I took with the series is the lack of characterization of the Big Bad.  

I said “almost everybody” because I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my personal favorite sequence in the entire run. Detective Rico Tubbs trips on the bath salts in a controlled (by the standards of the comic) environment. It is absolutely insane. The narration is simultaneously hilarious and awesome and the art is at its best in the entire series. I don’t want to give any specifics, but that sequence is worth reading the comics alone. Also, I officially claim Disco Psychosis as my next band’s name. None of you can take it from me. 

The artwork of Miami Vice Remix is assaulting in the absolute best way. It was the standout of my review of the first issue. If you are a casual fan of comic books and also a fan of NRW, I can’t think of a single better comic to start with. It captures the aesthetic of the scene so perfectly. 

As I mentioned, the story ends on a cliffhanger. The ending is mostly satisfying, but does wind up feeling rushed. This is not so much a fault in the writing as much as it’s a fault in the short run. The story demands more than five issues can allow. This could have easily been stretched into a phenomenal ten issues. I haven’t been able to uncover any news of a continuation to the series, but suffice to say I will be pretty bummed if it doesn’t get continued. The story throughout the entire run is full of unexpected turns and never feels boring.  

Buying individual comics can be daunting for people who don’t do so often or don’t have any shops near them. The good news is that all five issues will be compiled into a graphic novel to be released in November of this year. I strongly recommend it to fans of NewRetroWave; the pages will sync with pretty much any song on our channel. 

The story deals with an influx of a new drug called “Miami Bath Salts” and the efforts of our unconventional heroes Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs to find the source.  Almost everybody who tries the new drug becomes, for all intents and purposes, irreversible zombies. The drug lord is a practitioner of voodoo, and is reminiscent of Disney’s Doctor Facilier, albeit much darker. The five-issue run ends on a cliffhanger, so the issue of whether or not the use of voodoo is problematic is hard to gauge. In fact, the only issue (pun!) I took with the series is the lack of characterization of the Big Bad.  

I said “almost everybody” because I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my personal favorite sequence in the entire run. Detective Rico Tubbs trips on the bath salts in a controlled (by the standards of the comic) environment. It is absolutely insane. The narration is simultaneously hilarious and awesome and the art is at its best in the entire series. I don’t want to give any specifics, but that sequence is worth reading the comics alone. Also, I officially claim Disco Psychosis as my next band’s name. None of you can take it from me. 

The artwork of Miami Vice Remix is assaulting in the absolute best way. It was the standout of my review of the first issue. If you are a casual fan of comic books and also a fan of NRW, I can’t think of a single better comic to start with. It captures the aesthetic of the scene so perfectly. 

As I mentioned, the story ends on a cliffhanger. The ending is mostly satisfying, but does wind up feeling rushed. This is not so much a fault in the writing as much as it’s a fault in the short run. The story demands more than five issues can allow. This could have easily been stretched into a phenomenal ten issues. I haven’t been able to uncover any news of a continuation to the series, but suffice to say I will be pretty bummed if it doesn’t get continued. The story throughout the entire run is full of unexpected turns and never feels boring.  

Buying individual comics can be daunting for people who don’t do so often or don’t have any shops near them. The good news is that all five issues will be compiled into a graphic novel to be released in November of this year. I strongly recommend it to fans of NewRetroWave; the pages will sync with pretty much any song on our channel. 

Then there’s Miami Vice Remix.

Miami Vice Remix is a 5-issue series from IDW Publishing by Joe Casey and Jim Mahfood. The art style of Remix very quickly establishes its identity as something unique and not an uninspired reboot. The harsh edges and angles evokes German Expressionism of the 1920’s, albeit bathed in a lush neon glow. It makes the setting appear simultaneously modern and retro, but never appears redundant.

The story follows the ethos of the artwork and moves at a blistering pace. While it may seem a little erratic at times, or like you are given a lot of names in a short period of time, it works well in context and is supported by the art. The narrative doesn’t hold the reader’s hand. I was extremely thankful for this, as that sort of attenuating of narrative details or a story’s world lowers reader expectations and is honestly condescending. Just as the art is bustling, the story is bustling, and that’s fine. That’s Miami. That is the world this story lives in. The plot itself is intriguing and involves the same characters from the show in their undercover roles confronting “Miami Bath Salts”-addled zombies, no doubt influenced by the cannibal attack in Miami back in 2012.

This may not be Miami Vice for people who are expecting a direct adaptation or continuation of the TV series, but it is Miami Vice for the Drive-generation of neo-80’s nostalgic future lovers. And isn’t that just thrilling?

Note: The next Miami Vice Remix review will cover #2 and #3. Then it will be as released.