Category: Crime

Gravedigger by Mills and Burchett Going to Action Lab Entertainment!

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Chris Mills announced this week that Gravedigger, the brilliant crime comic that he does with Rick Burchett will begin appearing from Action Lab Entertainment‘s Danger Zone later this year.

Regular readers know that I am a huge fan of both Mills and Burchett [separately] and Gravedigger is one of my all-time favorite comic characters.  Hopefully Action Lab will get enough sales of  two existing Gravedigger sagas – The Scavengers and The Predators to call for a nice hardcover and more Gravedigger yarns.

You can believe that I will keep you posted.

“The Expanse” Trailer — Starring Thomas Jane

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I just heard about The Expanse — a ten episode series starring Thomas Jane.  Here’s how the Syfy Channel describes it…

A thriller set two hundred years in the future, The Expansefollows the case of a missing young woman who brings a hardened detective and a rogue ship’s captain together in a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history.

This hour-long, ten episode series is based on the popular New York Times bestselling book series collectively known as The Expanse, written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (under the pen name James S. A. Corey). Abraham and Franck will be show producers.

Count me in.

Z-View: Men of Wrath #3 by Aaron and Garney

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Men of Wrath is a five issue mini-series created by Jason Aaron & Ron Garney published by Marvel.


Writer: Jason Aaron

Artist: Ron Garney

Colorist: Matt Milla

Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher

Ira Wrath is ready to pull the trigger on the last remaining member of his family, and bring the story of his bloodline to a violent end.

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good

  • Ron Garney’s art.
  • Love the cover!
  • “I still never seen no ocean.”
  • “Now tell me little lady… was I lyin’ then?”
  • “Wasn’t always a preacher. Not in Phu Bau in ’68.”

The Bad:

  • Ira Rath is so bad he is willing to kill his own son for money.
  • It’s a long time since ’68.

The Ugly:

  • The history of the Rath family.

 

Men of Wrath #3 is for mature readers due to mature language and violence.

Rating:

Z-View: Men of Wrath #2 by Aaron & Garney

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Men of Wrath is a five issue mini-series created by Jason Aaron & Ron Garney published by Marvel.


Writer: Jason Aaron

Artist: Ron Garney

Colorist: Matt Milla

Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher

Dig deeper into the bloodstained history of the Raths, an Alabama family caught in a generational cycle of violence. Are all members of this clan of killers cursed to live and die by the sword, or can one of them break the chain?

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good

  • Ron Garney’s art.
  • Milla does an especially nice job of coloring the night scenes.
  • “I’d much rather bury one body than two.”
  • “Kid… I’m sorry.”

The Bad:

  • Catching rabies.
  • How Reuben Rath can earn some extra money.
  • The cover shown above is boring.

The Ugly:

  • Being put down like a dog… a “bad dog.”

 

Men of Wrath #2 is for mature readers due to mature language and violence.

Rating:

Darwyn Cooke’s Revengeance

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Darwyn Cooke was an amazing artist. He was always kind and humble in my interactions with him.  But that was the way he was with his fans.  Cooke was one of the few artsits that I’d seek out anything he worked on.  Sadly he left us far too soon.

Before Darwyne Cooke died, a new mini-series by him was in the works…

Darwyn Cooke’s Revengeance has been announced and I can’t wait…

REVENGEANCE is a psychological thriller with darkly humorous overtones. When Joe Malarky is faced with a criminal tragedy, he sets out to make things right on his own. What follows is Joe’s odyssey through the underside of the city and the madness that seems to drive his crazy world. REVENGEANCE takes place in Toronto in the mid-eighties and is part crime story, part psychotronic melodrama, and a wholly fond look back at the author’s hometown.

Man, that sounded so cool.  Of course everything Cooke created fit that category.

Source: Almost Darwyn Cooke.

Z-View: Shaft #1 by David F. Walker and Bilquis Evely

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Shaft is an on-going series published by Dynamite.  Shaft created by Ernest Tidyman.

Writer: David F. Walker

Artist: Bilquis Evely

Colorist: Daniel Miwa

Cover Shown: Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz & Ivan Nunes

Who’s the black private dick that’s a sex machine with all the chicks? Shaft! Created by author Ernest Tidyman, and made famous in a series of novels and films, iconic hero Shaft makes his comic book debut in an all-new adventure. He’s gone toe-to-toe with organized crime bosses, stood up to the cops, squared off against kidnappers, and foiled assassination attempts. But who was John Shaft before he became the hardboiled investigator with a reputation as big as New York City itself?

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good

  • Ernest Tidyman’s John Shaft gets his own comic!
  • 10 Cool Variant Covers: Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz & Ivan Nunes’ cover [shown above] is my favorite followed by covers created by Sanford Greene, Francesco Francavilla, Matt Haley, Michael Avon Oeming and Ulises Farinas.
  • Love the art by Bilquis Evely.
  • Daniel Miwa’s colors compliment Evely nicely.

The Bad:

  • Juius Tate and Knocks Persons.

The Ugly:

  • What happens when you don’t take a dive ordered by Junius Tate and Knocks Persons.

 

Shaft #1 should appeal to fans of the Shaft movies and is for mature audiences due to adult language.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Z-View: Men of Wrath #1 by Aaron and Garney

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Men of Wrath is a five issue mini-series created by Jason Aaron & Ron Garney published by Marvel.


Writer: Jason Aaron

Artist: Ron Garney

Colorist: Matt Milla

Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher

Ever since Great Grandfather Isom killed a man over some sheep, a black cloud has hung over the Rath family. Now, over a century later, Ira Rath, the coldest hitman ever to walk on Alabama soil, has taken a job that will decide the fate of his cursed family once and for all. Writer Jason Aaron (Southern Bastards, Scalped) and artist Ron Garney (Weapon X, Thor: God of Thunder) team up once again, to bring you the story of a Southern family, whose only heirloom is violence.

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good

  • Ron Garney’s art.
  • Aaron’s idea of following generations of the Rath family.
  • If you like your crime stories about men who live outside the law and aren’t knights with dull armor, you’re in for a ride.
  • “He’s your father.”

The Bad:

  • Wrath does something so bad… so unexpected on page 7 that I had to go back and reread to make sure I wasn’t misinterpreting the art.  I wasn’t.
  • The size of the mosquitoes at Rath’s house.

The Ugly:

  • The “gift” Rath leaves his doctor as he walks out.

 

Men of Wrath #1 is for mature readers due to mature language and violence.

Rating:

Z-View: The Big Ugly

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The Big Ugly  by Jake Hinkson.

 

Ellie Bennett is an ex-corrections officer who has just served a year inside Eastgate Penitentiary for assaulting a prisoner. She’s only been out for a day when she accepts a strange job offer from the head of a Christian political advocacy group. He wants her to track down a missing ex-con named Alexis. Although no one knows where Alexis has gone, it seems like everyone in Arkansas is looking for her—from a rich televangelist running for Congress to the governor’s dirty tricks man. When Bennett finds the troubled young woman, she has to decide whether to hand her over to the highest bidder or help her escape from the most powerful men in the state.

Jake Hinkson writes noir… but always with a twist from expected conventions.  In  The Big Ugly our protagonist is a wrongly-convicted, tough ex-con who becomes a private-eye of sorts.  No twist there, right?  Oh, did I mention that our “hero” is a woman?

Ellie Bennett is a tough-talking, rough broad who is all woman.  Ellie finds herself dealing with two-competing factions who want to “silence” Alexis – the woman Ellie has been paid to find.  If Ellie refuses to cooperate she’ll end up back in prison at best and at worst in an unmarked grave with Alexis.

Ellie is in way over her head.  Either Ellie cooperates and still ends up with one of the competing factions after her or she refuses and has both groups after her.  Perhaps there is a third option…

The Big Ugly is for mature audiences due to mature language, sex and violence.

Rating: 4 out of 5 

Z-View: “A Simple Plan”

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The Tagline:  “Sometimes good people do evil things..“

The Overview:   *** Beware –  spoilers are found below ***

Hank [Bill Paxton] and Sarah [Bridget Fonda] are living the American Dream.  Married and expecting a child, Hank works at the local feed store and Sarah is a librarian.  Known and respected by folks in their small town, things seem wonderful for the young couple.

When Hank, his dim-witted brother, Jacob [Billy Bob Thorton] and Jacob’s alcoholic friend, Lou [Brent Briscoe] accidentally stumble across a downed plane buried in the snow, they find their morality tested.  The plane contains a dead pilot and over four million dollars cash.

Hank wants to report their find to the police with hope there will be a reward. Lou wants to keep the money and say nothing.  Jacob sides with Lou. Ultimately, they decide that Hank will keep the money for the three. If no one comes calling after the plane is found in the spring, they will split the money equally and leave town going their separate ways.

It is a simple plan.  What could go wrong?

*** Even More Spoilers Below ***

The Good

  • Hank’s simple plan.
  • How when the plan begins to almost immediately unravel, the steps taken to correct things leads to worse events.
  • The twists along the way.
  • Director Sam Raimi creates so many suspenseful scenes.
  • Screenwriter Scott B. Smith skillfully adapts his novel of the same name.
  • How logical choices lead to unreasonable actions.
  • Paxton, Fonda, Thorton and Briscoe are excellent in their roles.
  •  “That man’s got a gun, Hank.  When he sees the plane, he’s gonna shoot you both.”

The Bad:

  • The evil that good people will do for money.
  • Making a pact with a dimwit and mean drunk.
  • When two of the three break their promise not to tell anyone what they found.
  • When Lou comes calling for his share of the money.
  • When the sheriff comes around asking questions.
  • When the FBI agent comes asking about the plane… and is he really FBI?

The Ugly:

  • When one bad decision forces worse choices.
  • When people don’t die straight away.
  • Learning how people talk about you when you’re not there.
  • The pain of betrayal.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5

Z-View: The Cold Kiss by John Rector

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The Cold Kiss by John Rector.

 

Nate and Sara, on the run from their past, are driving to Reno.  When they’re approached at a roadside diner by a man offering $500 for a ride into Omaha, they can’t help but see it as a sign of blessings to come.

But in a few hours, that man is dead in their back seat . . . and he’s got a bag of money . . . more than either one of them know what to do with.

Forced off the road by a blizzard and trapped in a run-down motel, Nate and Sara make a life-altering decision that unleashes a nightmare.  Before they know it, Nate and Sara are fighting for their lives and forced to confront every bad decision they’ve made along the way.

For two young lovers who may have used up all their chances, this is a final trip down a dark tunnel that might lead them to heaven, but drags them through hell.

First, let me give credit to Eric Beetner whose 60 Second Review turned me on to The Cold Kiss.

Rector takes what could have been cliche –  nice young couple stumble on more money than they ever dreamed possible and their decision to keep it costs them more than they could ever have imagined.  

In fact their decision to keep the money is just the first of many that take them deeper and deeper into a nightmare that might only end when they are dead.

The Cold Kiss is for mature audiences due to violence. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

 

Z-View: Code Zero by Jonathan Maberry

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Code Zero: A Joe Ledger Novel by Jonathan Maberry.

 

For years the Department of Military Sciences has fought to stop terrorists from using radical bioweapons—designer plagues, weaponized pathogens, genetically modified viruses, and even the zombie plague that first brought Ledger into the DMS. These terrible weapons have been locked away in the world’s most secure facility. Until now. Joe Ledger and Echo Team are scrambled when a highly elite team of killers breaks the unbreakable security and steals the world’s most dangerous weapons. Within days there are outbreaks of mass slaughter and murderous insanity across the American heartland. Can Joe Ledger stop a brilliant and devious master criminal from turning the Land of the Free into a land of the dead?

 

The Good

  • Jonathan Maberry can tell a story!
  • Like all Joe Ledger novels this baby sucks you in and then never lets up.
  • The cast: Joe Ledger, Mr. Church, Samson Riggs, Aunt Sallie, Dr. Hu, Junie, and others — not only do they get their scenes but every character gets enough backstory to feel real.
  • We lose characters in every Ledger story – the losses hurt because of the great characterization and because Maberry creates a world where the good guys don’t always come out on top.  When someone is killed the loss is not only felt but can have ramifications throughout the series.
  • Maberry isn’t afraid to create a villain that is smarter than everyone.
  • A major scene unfolds at DragonCon.
  • Maberry creates a universe where events have ramifications felt throughout the world but he never loses sight of his plot and the writing never feels padded.
  • The scene when a team member is bit by a zombie, his suit torn and another team member points his rifle and demands to see the bite… tension, terror and sadness!
  • A villain with a unique motivation that doesn’t involve money, world domination or revenge.
  • The way Ledger turns a loss into a win.

The Bad:

  • Mother Night.
  • Zombies.
  • Berserkers.
  • Those that have to “burn to shine.”
  • Vice President, Bill Collins.
  • Artemisia Bliss.
  • The people close to Ledger who die this time out…

The Ugly:

  • What happens when Mother Night’s followers “burn to shine.”
  • Getting bitten by a zombie or attacked by a Berserker.
  • Trapped on a stalled subway car with one zombie, then two, then four…
  • Did I mention the people close to Ledger who die this time?

 Code Zero: A Joe Ledger Novel is for mature audiences due to excessive violence and sexual situations. 

Rating: 5 out of 5

 

15 Things About “Payback” That You Probably Didn’t Know

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Sean Hutchinson and Mental_Floss present 15 Things About Payback That You Probably Didn’t Know.

Here are my three favorite things…

5. HELGELAND WAS INSPIRED BY GRITTY CRIME DRAMAS FROM THE 1970S.

He used films like The Getaway, Dirty Harry, and Charley Varrick for visual references. In fact, the restaurant that Stegman takes Val to is named Varrick’s as a nod to Charley Varrick.

11. HELGELAND WAS FIRED AS DIRECTOR BEFORE THE FILM WRAPPED PRODUCTION.

He and the studio disagreed over the original ending of Payback, and when a consensus couldn’t be achieved, Helgeland was fired. A new director was brought in to reshoot—these new scenes make up about 30 percent of the theatrical cut.

15. IN 2007, HELGELAND WAS ABLE TO RE-CUT THE FILM INTO HIS ORIGINAL VISION.

It was released as Payback: Straight Up—The Director’s Cut.

Z-View: Dead Body Road #6

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Dead Body Road is a six issue mini-series published by Image.

Writer: Justin Jordan

Penciler / Inker: Matteo Scalera

Colorist: Moreno Dinisio

There’s a man digging a hole in the desert. Let’s see just how many bodies will fit. Orson Gage’s bloody revenge saga ends here.

 

Dead Body Road #6  Justin Jordan and Matteo Scalera continue to create a comic that consistently entertains.

The Good

  • Justin Jordan and Matteo Scalera.  And when I say, “good” I mean great.
  • Justin Jordan’s message to the readers at the end of each issue.  Excellent feature!
  • Noir at it’s best.

The Bad:

  • Some people are going to be put off by the violence and profanity.
  • More people are going to be sad because the series ends here.

The Ugly:

  • Realizing “we wanted the wrong things” too late.

Dead Body Road #6  is a comic for mature audiences due to violence and language.  If you’re a fan of crime/revenge stories then this is for you.  

Rating: 5 out of 5

Dead Body Road is available in a Trade Paperback that collects all six issues.