filler

by Rick Spears and Rob G

original graphic novel

the premise: John Dough lives life on the margins, spending his time drafting from one anonymous role to another. But when he meets a hooker named Debra Cross, he's drawn into a violent caper that he may not survive.

the lowdown: Imagine Sin City with a little more natural dialogue and slightly less over-the-top violence, and you've got an idea what this book is like. It's presented entirely in black, white and red, and tells the very noir story of a man caught up in circumstances beyond his control. That's a classic element of true noir, of course, and this book plays off those genre tropes well.

The story itself is an ugly, somewhat brutal crime story involving a protagonist who's not particularly likeable, but seems to be the lesser of a whole bunch of evils. Spears hammers home the noir themes by presenting Dough as, literally, a nobody - an extra in police lineups, a face everyone immediately forgets, etc. The story has lots of twists and turns, and ends in a compelling manner. Lots of violence, lots of language, and some nudity in this one - so be aware of what you're getting before picking it up. This is a harsh book at times.

The art by Rob G is excellent and makes very good use of the limited color pallette. As in the Couriers books Rob shows off his ability to draw frenetic action scenes, but in this story he also gets the chance to draw some slower scenes and knocks those out of the park as well.

the verdict: This one's a treat for fans of crime noir. If you're into 100 Bullets, Fell, or Criminal, or Charlie Huston's prose novels, give this one a look.