‘Huge Detective’ Review: An Urban Fantasy With a Big Heart

Huge Detective is big in so many ways. Huge ideas, big scope, and plenty of heart. 

Published by Titan Comics, Huge Detective has now been collected into its first volume. Written by Adam Rose and illustrated by Magenta King, the comic takes place in an urban fantasy world where giants and humans live together on Earth. Their co-existence is far from one of harmony. The giants, known throughout the series as ‘Huge,’ emerged from the ground and took over Australia in what becomes known as the Omega Event. There, they set their own state called Brobdingnag. Many decades on, tensions between the humans and giants begin to arise when a mysterious murder occurs in the United States, which involves a human who believes he’s a giant.

The case takes on an unlikely duo of investigators: FBI agent Detective Tamaki and Huge Detective Gyant. Writer Adam Rose takes the big idea and scope for this comic and plays around with it, pitting characters in increasingly stranger scenarios. The world-building is exquisite, capturing all the hallmarks of a great urban fantasy — and it still doesn’t sacrifice on character development. He also dives deep into not only the dynamic between the two central characters, but also into their distinct personalities. This is especially noticeable with Detective Gyant, who I fount to be the most interesting character.

Rose also examines the ethical and moral implications of human–giant partnerships, particularly through the prejudices his characters display.

The actual detective story behind this comic isn’t a standout of the genre. It’s not bad, but the actual world-building and setting should be the main factor that draws readers to this comic. He takes big concepts (including a plot line in outer space) and seamlessly weaves them into the plot. It’s a unique, genre-bending piece, and it’s been executed brilliantly.

Additionally, the artwork by Magenta King is particularly stunning, easily selling the scale of humans and giants. It’s bursting with colours, with a few glorious splash pages to behold.

Overall, Huge Detective delivers big (if you’d pardon the pun). If you’re a die-hard fan of detective fiction, it won’t blow you away. But as an all-round urban fantasy, it’s a gem and a read you’ll struggle to put down.

You can buy Huge Detective on Amazon here.