When we think of psychics and spirit mediums, we think about old gypsy women in stuffy tents. We think about pounds of cheap jewelry clinking against a foggy crystal ball and the waving of gnarled hands over its swirling core. Writer Dean Koontz and manga-ka Queenie Chan do things a little differently with In Odd We Trust. The manga's spirit-savvy protagonist is not a master of the tarot, but instead a master of the pancake griddle. Indeed, “Odd Thomas,” as he is known, adds a bit of flavour to the story that is as comforting, if not a bit familiar, as the food he serves up.
On the outside, Odd Thomas seems like a normal teenager with a burger-flipping job in a small California town. Upon drawing closer to him, however, it becomes apparent he can do the “I see dead people” thing. Odd can't chat with his deceased visitors, but through intuition and pantomime, he can take a guess at what's eating them and preventing them from moving on to the next world. In Odd We Trust pairs him with an unusual “client:” a little boy who was murdered by a wandering psychopath. Odd teams up with his girlfriend Stormy and uses his gifts to hunt down down the predator.
Author Dean Koontz dominates thriller novels, but In Odd We Trust is surprisingly laid back. There's few moments of tension through the story, partially because the characters are all pretty easygoing and also because Queenie Chan's art style is bubbly for the genre. Luckily, the story doesn't try to be a thrill-a-minute but instead focuses on character development. One of the nicest things Koontz and Queenie Chan do for the reader is refrain from injecting the relationship between Odd and Stormy with false tension. It's clear that they're soul mates and have been together for ages, adding a romantic element to the story without bogging it down with panels full of goo-goo eyes. Odd is also an agreeable lad who works closely with the police. He trusts them, they trust him. On one hand, this contributes a lot to the aforementioned elimination of tension. On the other hand, the writing world has overdone the cynical cop thing to death.
Queenie Chan's art is a lot of fun throughout the volume, though Odd's “desert town” is admittedly very green and lacking in dust and rocks. But there's something extra slimy in the gaze of the manga's child-slaying antagonist.
Established Koontz fans won't find the thrills and chills they're expecting from In Odd We Trust, but it's a pleasant diversion for teenagers looking to give Koontz a chance.
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