Clean Room Vol. 1 – Immaculate Conception (2016)
📚 Genre
Psychological Horror, Supernatural Thriller, Mystery, Dark Sci-Fi
This title masterfully blends cerebral horror with science fiction, diving into disturbing themes like mind control, trauma, and the terrifying unknown.
👥 Main Characters
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Chloe Pierce – A tenacious investigative journalist haunted by her fiancé’s suicide, seeking the horrifying truth behind a powerful organization.
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Astrid Mueller – A cold and charismatic leader of a global self-help movement with secrets buried in a place known only as the Clean Room.
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Philip – Chloe’s late fiancé, whose suicide triggers the main narrative arc.
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Various Demonic Entities – Manifestations from the Clean Room that blur the lines between reality and nightmare.
✍️ Writer
Gail Simone
Renowned for her work on Birds of Prey and Batgirl, Simone delivers a bold narrative packed with psychological complexity and female-driven storytelling.
🎨 Artist
Jon Davis-Hunt
Davis-Hunt’s meticulous line work and disturbing visual designs intensify the horror, with clinical precision and surreal imagination that elevate the tension in every panel.
🧑💼 Editor Details
Shelly Bond, a key figure in Vertigo’s editorial team, ensured the tone remained consistently twisted and cerebral, maintaining the imprint’s legacy of edgy, adult storytelling.
🏢 Publisher and Brand
Vertigo Comics (DC Comics Imprint)
As part of DC's now-retired mature readers’ line, Clean Room represents Vertigo’s commitment to pushing boundaries in psychological and speculative fiction.
📅 Release Year
2016
This volume collects the first six issues of the series, originally published throughout late 2015 into early 2016.
🧠 Brief Plot Summary
Clean Room Vol. 1 – Immaculate Conception begins when Chloe Pierce’s fiancé takes his own life shortly after diving into a book by Astrid Mueller—a reclusive, cult-like self-help guru. Stricken by grief and suspicion, Chloe begins her own investigation, leading her deep into a terrifying underworld where the mind itself becomes a battleground. At the heart of Astrid’s empire is the Clean Room, a mysterious chamber where people’s darkest fears and hidden demons are exposed—literally.
As Chloe gets closer to the truth, she uncovers a conspiracy that may involve otherworldly beings, mass manipulation, and a war that isn’t fought on Earth alone. The line between psychological trauma and supernatural horror becomes increasingly blurred as the truth behind Astrid Mueller begins to unravel.
📖 Notable Arcs or Storylines
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The Immaculate Conception – The opening arc lays the groundwork for the haunting and surreal tone of the series, establishing Chloe and Astrid’s tense dynamic.
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Origin of the Clean Room – Hints dropped throughout the volume build up the mythology surrounding the Clean Room, its creation, and its terrifying purpose.
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Chloe’s Awakening – A slow burn transformation of Chloe from grieving fiancée to relentless truth-seeker and possibly a future adversary (or ally) to Astrid.
🧩 Fan Theories or Interpretations
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Some fans speculate that the Clean Room functions as a gateway to a parallel realm—possibly an alien plane—rather than just a psychological construct.
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A recurring theory posits that Astrid herself may be possessed or inhuman, given her eerie detachment and access to impossible knowledge.
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Another interpretation is that Chloe may be a latent psychic, drawn to Astrid not by chance but by a larger cosmic design involving the creatures exposed in the Clean Room.
⭐ Review Summary
Clean Room Vol. 1 – Immaculate Conception is a chilling and intelligent horror narrative, deeply enriched by Gail Simone’s sharp writing and layered characters. Chloe’s emotional journey is raw and real, while Astrid Mueller is an enigma who commands every scene she enters. The art by Jon Davis-Hunt is surgical in its clarity and terrifying in its execution, giving life to grotesque imagery without losing narrative cohesion. This volume stands out for its atmospheric storytelling, feminist undertones, and its refusal to offer easy answers.
Verdict: A must-read for fans of smart horror and psychological thrillers. 🧠🔍📖
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