Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have worked on a number of somewhat legendary crime comics including SCENE OF THE CRIME, CRIMINAL, INCOGNITO and SLEEPER. While I love Noir fiction, Brubaker and Phillips work has never attracted me. But the cover to issue #1(2nd printing. The first printing had a demon with a tommy gun in its’ hand. The ceond had a seductive black and white shot of Jo.) caught my eye on the comic wall and it called to me. And I’m glad it did.
The story begins in the present day
as Nicholas Lash buries his godfather, author Dominic H. Raines. One of the
people at the funeral is a youthful woman named Jo. Later that night, gangsters
show up while Nicholas is investigating his godfather’s belongings. Jo arrives
to save his life and there’s a car chase involving an airplane. Before it ends,
the plane crashes, the car crashes and Nicholas , right leg lost in the crash,
begins to read Dominic’s manuscript. He also finds a picture of a youthful
Dominic and a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Jo. The picture was
taken in San Francisco
in 1956.
Walt Booker is a crooked cop who is investigating a cult styled murder where
the cultists have lost their heads. Hank Raines, as he was known, is also
investigating that murder. But Booker is getting deeper and deeper into the
cult. He arranges a meeting with the head of the group. At the same time, Hank
is having an affair with Josephine, who is also involved with Booker. Booker, diagnosed with cancer, meets with the
head guy, Mr. Bishop, and will do anything to save his life; even at the cost
of his soul.
We switch to the present as Nicholas returns home to find he place trashed. Obviously
the bad guys were looking for the lost Raines novel. In flashback, Booker
gets a visit from members of the cult who tells him he has three days to
deliver on the bargain. Hank and Josephine continue their lover affair and
eventually end up at an old broken down house where she professes this is where
she first died. Inside the house, is a derelict that has some history with her.
Before it is done, she murders him, telling Hank she is not the woman he thinks
she is. When Hank returns home, he is promptly arrested for the brutal murder
of his wife. It is so heinous that the police are sickened by it. Hank is
eventually released even as Booker and Josephine meet and he agrees to set her
free. And as he drinks himself into a stupor, he gets involved in another cult
murder. And Booker find a connection between a murder victim and Josephine.
Booker puts a curse on himself to break his connection with Josephine. We
discover that Bishop is a demon from out of the Lovecraft school of slimy
demons. We also learn that Hank is being prepared to be a sacrifice like his
life and unborn child was. But it is Bishop who saves the day by tossing the
demon into the pit and carving out it’s eyes. Unfortunately Hank kills him,
thinking he was guilty of bringing Jo to the demon cult. Booker dies a hero
when it is all one. And the demon, now blind, gets reborn.
In an epilogue of sorts, set in present day, Nicholas goes to an insane
asylum to visit his father, who is the photographer who worked with Raines. When
Nicholas shows his dad the picture, his father laughs maniacally. Thus Ends
Book I.
This is one weird, fun, sick book! Brubaker claims it will run 12 issues in
total and what I’ve reviewed here is just the first 5 issues. I cannot wait to
see what issue #6 has in store. Brubaker’s story is fun, his dialogue is pure
crime noir with a kinky element in the plot. Phillips art is clean and crisp
and fits the story so well. It has that pulp feel in every panel.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It deserves a place in your library and
I can now recommend Brubaker/Phillips other work. Thumbs up here: WAY UP!
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