Saturday, June 26, 2010

What I Read - Jun 22, 2010

Last of the Independents - by Matt Fraction and Kiernon Dwyer. I enjoyed it. I like the characters and the plot. Not traditional but nor is it virgin territory. It bears a passing resemblance to some movies that I've seen, Charley Varrick starring Walter Matthau being the first one that comes to mind.

What's it about? A heist. As with most heists nothing ever goes according to plan. The heist itself goes more or less according to plan except that there is considerably more money in the bank than they expected there to be. The crew performing the heist is a trio: Cole, Justine, Billy. Cole is the leader, the brains behind the job. Justine is the muscle, the weapons expert. Billy is the driver, the mechanic, the demolitions expert.

They take the unexpextedly large amount of cash they find, which is, of course, dirty. The cops aren't much trouble to deal with. Its the men who who come after them (after they have dealt with the fuzz) who give them much trouble.

I like Dwyer's art. The book is not colored in the traditional way. It looks like it was penciled, inked, and then coated with a tan colored wash; or at least that's what it looks like to me. For this story that works. It gives it a gritty feel which seems very appropriate.

This isn't the most polished story I have ever read. It seems a bit rushed in places, as if there was more story than there were pages to tell it. That said I really enjoyed it and it was worth the $5 I paid for it at Super Show a few months ago. I wouldn't say that it is essential reading for fans of the genre but I do think that it is worth reading.

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