Joe Books Ltd. 2016
Written by Sarah Spillane & Jay Firestone
Scripted by Rik Hoskin
Illustrated by German Ponce
Coloured by Mohan
Lettered & Designed by Bill Tortolini
Skylar Moore is many things. A student of the law. A teacher of ethics and philosophy. The daughter of a convicted killer. A witness of the gritty, criminal underworld of her city. And now, on the heels of her father’s sentencing, she has caught the attention of Frank Franklin, the notorious head of a mysterious crime organization. His offer of help--and tea--seems innocent enough, but should Skylar trust him?
It’s books like this one that I keep telling people to look at the smaller or “indie” press companies for stories to read. There’s a great solid concept here that we are seeing unfold before our eyes that has an excitement level to it that’s surprisingly high. Skylar’s dad gets put in jail she’s approached by his boss and wants nothing to do with that side of her father’s life. However she’s now come to the attention of both him and those who wish to put him away and that’s a sticky situation for her to be in. Of course she has no idea who’s really who yet and that she’s on her own well it’s for us to see what she’s capable of.
I like the flashback to when she was kid and got her first lesson in driving. Of course seeing how she was able to get that well that’s something else entirely. I have to say though that this was what it’s about if she got what she asked for then there really is so much more to Skylar than I had originally thought and suddenly she’s a much more interesting and dangerous young woman.
The level of characterisation here is extraordinary and that goes alongside the way the story is structured. The way that the flashback is woven into the story and is relevant to what’s currently happening is nicely done. As are the actions that we see happening throughout the issue that kind of surprised me as they happened. Also it drew me further into the story and made me question what I was seeing and that it took me to that level is incredible.
The interior artwork here is freakin fantastic. The attention to detail is beyond what we could hope for, the utilisation of page layouts through angles, perspective and the use of backgrounds are phenomenal. I love that the bodies have a natural feel to them and aren’t the least bit exaggerated. They really do manage to bring a screen quality to the way they approach this that helps with the whole tone, mood and feel of the story.
From concept through execution this creative team works extremely well together making a modern thriller from a perspective that is new, fresh and original. With an interesting and increasing cast of characters along bits and pieces of her past falling into place this is a story that should be front and center in your reading pile.