The latest issue of Trista & Holt is a little different. First, it’s double-sized. Secondly, it’s almost entirely backstory, telling us about Trista’s childhood. Most importantly, though, it’s not written by series creator Andrez Bergen. The art is still Bergen’s, done in his signature photomanipulation style, but the story is written by guest author Renee Asher Pickup.

I was curious right from the beginning about how another author would handle Bergen’s work and, I’ll admit, a little wary, as well. But, this is a great issue: possibly one of my favorites in the series so far.

We begin, as I mentioned earlier, in Trista’s childhood. Trista’s father has just died, and her mother Blanche has already gotten remarried to a man named DuBois. (I wonder if Bergen picked that name combination, or if Pickup did.) Trista is largely ignored and neglected, except by Governal, the man who is later to become her lieutenant in her Aunt Marcella’s organization.

But, Governal is much more than that to her. He’s a friend, a confidante, and surrogate father to Trista. He teaches her how to shoot, how to play poker, and, most importantly, how to read people—all in preparation for the day she’ll eventually meet Aunt Marcella and have the opportunity to join her crime family. Through this issue, we see the relationship between Trista and Governal, and the relationship between her and her aunt, both of which are essential to the story, as well as fascinating to watch.

The art in this issue is top notch, as well. I was particularly delighted to see Governal portrayed by images of Patrick McGoohan from The Prisoner. There are plenty of other noteworthy celebrity guests in this issue, as well, but I’ll let you find them for yourself. That’s always one of my favorite parts of reading Trista & Holt.

This is a great issue and definitely worth reading. I wonder if Bergen has plans for any other guest writers in this series. It’s proving to be a cool and effective way of switching things up and keeping the audience on their toes—which has always been something Bergen enjoys doing in his comics. But, at any rate, whether it’s Bergen or someone else doing the writing, this is a unique and exciting comic, and I really enjoy it.