Oni Press 2015
Written by Greg Rucka
Illustrated by Justin Greenwood
Coloured by Ryan Hill
Just the fact that Greg can take a subject matter like this uniquely grown and processed coffee and turn it into a huge story full of lying, deceit and even a form of corporate espionage complete with armed thugs and attempted hold ups just goes to show how freakin talented the man is. I mean with all that going on we still get to see Dex and her family drama unfold not only fleshing her but them out incredibly well amid the weirdness that is this coffee stuff.
Mister Weekes joy at Dex returning with the coffee is both creepy as all get out and infinitely interesting. I have to admit after the events of last issue I was worried that Dex was up to something on her own and would possibly consider the offer she got from Mr. Dove the proxy for the unknown man. Greg really got me here with the writing and how it played out when she dropped off the coffee. Also during their discussion about that event and the fact that two men followed her and tried to take the coffee for themselves the reasoning process about if they are all interrelated is well done indeed.
There’s a reason Dex is good at what she does and I love that she’s a smart no nonsense kind of woman. Not only effective and trustworthy but that she can kick butt when she has to makes her a very intriguing character to follow. On some level I feel like she’s the modern day version Laura Holt from Remington Steele and I find myself adoring that. Oh and the dialogue that comes from here it’s really wonderfully done as Mr. Weekes talks and her remarks about certain things made me laugh.
Her home life though is almost completely the opposite. Now that her sister has come to stay it’s turning her nice structured world into complete upheaval. Ansel being a special needs man means he needs a lot of looking after and the fact that Fuji doesn’t understand that and did what she did angering Dex well this is the kind of family drama that well makes you kind of realize that you can be thankful you don’t have to deal with it yourself.
I love how the whole issue plays out between the personal stuff and her resolve and the dissolution of that as Fuji seems to settle into the home upsetting and creating a whole new dynamic could be good for Dex and Ansel. Then with everything else that is happening with the whole Coffee Mafia wanting the shipment and then Laidlaw and his man Dove wanting her to skim off the top as it were keep the interest level high and the fun factor right there at the same level. Of course when the two men try to stop her again thanks for the hairy gluteus maximus on the one dude that was to see.
Justin and Ryan work extremely well together and what they’ve brought to the table particularly in this issue is fantastic. I love that they can show us the upheaval happening in Dex’s life and how the changes are good for them all just through the artwork. Not to mention they really are able to make Weekes extra creepy with his facial expressions and how he comes across on the page.
I’m so glad the next installment of this series is here because this is the kind of stuff that seems outrageous but makes for a hell of a good read.