so I've been really enjoying the
Vertigo Crime imprint lately. I just finished all the currently published ones, with just a few left for release before DC kills the brand. They also republished
A History of Violence, which is fugging ace. They're all stand alone (save for the Hellblazer story
Dark Entries), pulpish usually noir-ish stories, printed in black and white with a strong ehphasis on flawed protagonists. Even the weaker books are still kinda okay (
The Chill kinda sucks, but at least has a neat premise). Lotsa nice violence usually too.
I'd rank them like this.
The Executor-is a murder mystery set on a broke-ass Mohawk reservation, not unlike the Val Kilmer film Thunderheart, but way bleaker.
The Bronx Kill-if the plot weren't so simple it'd be #1, but its easily the best written title of this bunch. A writers new book, a historical thriller, begins to have uncomfortable similarities to his real life.
Area 10 -a supernatural mystery where a detective gets all sorts of cool psychic powers after accidentally getting trepinated on the job. Dueling psychics are never not cool.
Fogtown-a worn down and shaggy private eye in silver age San Francisco investigates all those bothersome dead sex worker and gay people that keep turning up.
Noche Roja -disappearing factory workers in a Mexican border town reactivates a shady PI's sense of duty. Great art in this one.
A Sickness in the Family -a pseudo retelling of Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher.
Dark Entries -John Constantine takes an ill advised job as a contestant on a haunted reality show.
Rat Catcher -some mystery super-assassin keeps knocking off fed witnesses. Not a great plot, but pretty good sorta-manga style art here.
Filthy Rich-ex-athelete tries his hand at selling expensive cars, and wooing a dangerous dame.
The Chill -irresistible morphing sex-bomb killer tearing its way through NYC, who can stop her and her pshychoctic Dad?
there's but a few straggler titles left for me to read, I'm looking forward to raiding my local and very cool library system for them. Check some of em out for a nice little slice of inhumanity and meanness.
