The Big Hoax - a Hard Case Crime Comic

Titan Comics has been putting out some really great stories under the "Hard Case Crimes" banner.  Normandy Gold and Peepland are two previous mini-series that I have read and thoroughly enjoyed. So, when I came across this hardcover graphic novel in a recent Previews, I decided to give it a shot. I enjoyed the others I have bought, so thought this premise sounded good as well.  I have never heard of the writer (Carlos Trilllo) or the artist (Roberto Mandrafina), but sometimes that works in the creators' favor, as I come into it without absolutely no preconceived ideas about any prior work they may have done.  And so it is that I finally picked up The Big Hoax to read it.

At 124-pages of story and art, The Big Hoax definitely has plenty of room to flesh out a good, hard-hitting story.  What I did not realize, until I reached the end of the graphic novel and read the bios for the author and artist is that Carlos Trillo died 10 years ago (back in 2011).  This, of course, made me wonder when this story was actually written.  The information I found online surprised me - Trillo was a rather prolific comic writer from Argentina, and he worked on a number of projects from 1963 until the late '90s or early 2000s.  From what I could find, The Big Hoax was originally published around 1996 as La gran patraña.  So, as it turns out, this graphic novel is not just a reprint, but it is also translated from Spanish to English (by Zeljko Medic).  But, that's okay - because that information gave me a new perspective on the story.

You see, when I first read the story in its entirety, I found it a bit odd.  Several characters break the fourth wall repeatedly, talking directly to the reader about not only the story itself, but about the main characters in the story.  There is also quite a bit of female nudity - and I mean FULL female nudity - which I didn't necessarily find off-putting, but I thought it to be somewhat biased that the reader is treated to numerous panels of female bodies, while the males remained carefully hidden/shadowed/discreet.  This fear of showing male nudity, while showcasing and praising female nudity, is an age-old argument, and my philosophy is - either show both or show neither.  But, considering this was originally written nearly 20 years ago, and in another country entirely, made me realize that I can't judge this based on today's viewpoints.  So, I took another crack at the tale.

The story is about a young woman who seeks out the help of alcoholic, ex-cop Donald Reynoso to help her.  You see, she is Melinda Centurion, otherwise known to the people of La Colonia as "The Intact Virgin."  But her life is a lie, a fictional tale created by the self-proclaimed talent, Milton Bates, at the request of the governor of La Colonia.  It seems the people have been churning out children left and right, all of whom are fodder for the guerillas who want to take over the province.  The governor convinces Bates to come up with a story that will encourage the women to remain chaste and lower the number of children being born, thus lowering the number of guerillas that his army has to fight.  Thus, "The Intact Virgin" was born!  (In reality, she is extremely loose of morals, sleeping with her uncle and pretty much any other man along the way!)  Now, though, her life is in danger, as someone has discovered that Melinda is sleeping with Donnie's own brother, who happens to be the Minister of the Interior for La Colonia.  If the people find out that Melinda is, indeed, not a virgin, then her uncle's plan will fall apart, and both she and Donnie's brother will be killed.  Not one to turn down a woman in need, Donnie agrees to help - but little does he realize that the hoax perpetrated on the people is but one of many hoaxes that will come into play before this whole drama is over!

Trillo creates a filthy world of crooked politicians, deadly assassins, seedy bars, filthy whore houses, and protagonists who are anything but good and innocent.  And with the second go-around at reading the book, I found that the interruptions by Milton Bates, Tropico (the owner and singer of El Rey Mago), and Mama Geremga (who runs the local brothel) to actually be a unique way of providing readers with backstory to the characters, and it added some flavor to such a dark tale.  And Mandrafina's art may be overexaggerated in parts (particularly with regard to the characters of color), I did find that he has an amazing talent when it comes to his characters' expressions - on page 38, for example, the looks on Melinda's and Donnie's faces tell the reader exactly what the character is feeling without any words necessary.  And the analogy set forth by Trillo and Mandrafina on pages 62-63 provides readers with an excellent foreshadowing of what is to come for one of the characters.

Certainly, The Big Hoax is not a story that I would typically read under normal circumstances; however, I am ultimately glad I picked it up, as it reminds me that great storytelling in comics is not limited to just the United States - there are some amazing creators and fantastic works from all around the world!

RATING:  8 men-eating women from Guyana out of 10 for reminding me that a really great story does not necessarily have to have a happy ending.

Amber Blake - an IDW mini-series

Me and my fascination with female-led comic book tales. I've always been drawn to comics that have strong female leads.  Wonder Woman. Birds of Prey. Batgirl. Supergirl. She-Hulk. Ms. Marvel (now Captain Marvel). Ms. Tree. Squirrel Girl. Power Girl. Huntress. Countless others. So, it should come as now surprise that when I saw the first IDW solicits for a new mini-series called Amber Blake, I was going to give it a try.  The fact that it has art by the magnificently talented Butch Guice, well that was simply icing on the cake.  And the cover for that first issue, with that determined young woman, all in black, carrying that gun - that pretty much solidified the deal.

What I did not expect was that the comic is not your standard comic-size; rather, it is magazine size (which means larger comic panels inside, with greater detail and more story!). What I also did not expect was a story about a young girl abandoned by her mother at an orphanage who is then taken away to study at one of the world's most prestigious schools - only to learn that the school is a smoke-screen for a man who takes advantage of his position - - and his students!

It's part spy story, part mystery story, part adventure story, part self-discovery story, part romance story - but overall, it's one heck of a great story! I enjoyed every minute of every issue. I am thankful that the writer, Jade Lagardere, did not feel the need to drag Amber's "origin" out for 6 to 12 issues to fill trade paperbacks; instead, readers get a direct, less-than-one-issue origin tale that gives readers everything they need to know about Amber, about the school, about the villain she will be chasing throughout this four-issue series, and leaves plenty of mystery to be discovered along the way (the readers learn more about Amber's past as she does throughout the adventure).

As in real life, not everyone is who they seem to be in this series, and Lagardere manages to pull some really good punches in the last two issues, surprising even me with a couple of very good soap opera moments and reveals (and no, I'm not going to say what they are, as it will spoil your reading of the story).  Suffice to say, it is definitely worth it for the story alone; however, the art by Butch Guice is absolutely magnificent. The man knows how to draw, that's for sure. Some amazingly detailed backgrounds, some beautifully rendered expressions, and some unbelievable movement from panel to panel. The only drawback (and it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the books too much) is the coloring. There are some panels, which are meant to be night time scenes, but they are colored with so much dark blue and black that it is difficult to tell what exactly is going on in the scene.  But, I've seen some movies with the same problem, where the night scenes are so dark, it's impossible to see anything at all on the screen - so, as I said, it didn't take me out of the story, and I just kept going, because I HAD to know what was going to happen next!

This book has a very cinematic feel to it, and I sure hope Lagardere and Guice have plans for more future Amber Blake stories, because I would definitely get them!!

RATING:  10 unexpected returns from the dead out of 10 for a freaking great story, superb art, and a wonderfully satisfying read!

Normandy Gold - a Hard Case Crime Comic

Titan Comics seems to be have a big hit on their hands with its "Hard Case Crime" line of titles.  I gave it a shot with the Peepland mini-series, which turned out to be really good, so I took a chance with a second mini-series, and I have to say - I was just as impressed with this one.

Set in the '70s exploitation style of writing and art, Normany Gold is not only the title of the book, but it is the name of the title character.  Normandy is a small town sheriff who heads to Washington, D.C. to find her missing sister.  When her sister turns up dead, murdered, Normandy takes it upon herself to search for her sister's killer, even if that means going undercover as an escort for Washington's most respected (and used) madame.  She quickly finds out that Washington is filled with a lot of secrets, and that a lot of high-powered men will do pretty much anything to keep those secrets hidden - even if it means killing!

Writers Megan Abbott and Alison Gaylin provide a really great murder mystery with a tough-as-nails protagonist who will do anything to get the job done. They manage to give the reader the feel for the '70s, with the macho men who are sexist pigs to the end, strong-willed women who are still trying to gain that equal footing, and the government wheelers-and-dealers who seem to live conscience-free and throw money wherever it is needed to maintain their power.  Despite her tough exterior, Normandy is a character the reader will not necessarily identify with, but you will definitely feel for her and will be rooting for her to catch the killer, despite the things she has to do in order to get there.  And believe me, some of it is NOT pretty!

Steve Scott's art is absolutely gorgeous.  The people are real, the clothing and backgrounds are time-period appropriate, and each page flows so smoothly, it comes across nearly cinematic.  The expressions he captures on the characters' faces are spot on, and about the only complaint I actually have is the fact that there are a number of scenes with full female nudity, yet with every scene where a man is nude, Scott conveniently finds a way to "shelter" the reader from actually seeing any full frontal male.  It's the double standard that seems rampant in our society - yet, I can be forgiving, since the comic is told in a '70s style, and let's face it - back then, female nudity in these type of films and/or books was the norm, and seeing a man naked was simply not done.  So, I suppose, it actually keeps the book on par for its intended goal.

I will say that Abbott and Gaylin kept me guessing through most of the story as to who the murderer would turn out to be - and when the ultimate reveal is made, it does come as a bit of a surprise.  But, it makes sense, and like with any good exploitation film (is that an oxy-moron) from that era, the ending is anything but happy or tidy; rather, it resolves the mystery, but it leaves the characters in a state of limbo (as well as the reader, who has to wonder, just what happens to these characters next?).

I do hope that Titan Comics continues to publish more of these type of crime noir stories, as they are not your typical continuity-heavy, super-hero comic tales, but rather, they are stories with a lot of meat and really make you think.

9 poison-filled syringes out of 10 for taking us back in time and reminding us that even 40 years ago, women could be tougher-than-tough when they needed to be!

Peepland - a Hard Case Crime Comic

And they lived happily ever after...NOT!

Christa Faust is no stranger to hard-hitting stories. When I first saw Peepland advertised in the Titans Comics section of Previews, I immediately recognize Faust, as she had authored several horror books that I have read (including a Friday the 13th novel, a Nightmare on Elm Street novel, and the movie novelization of Final Destination 3). Thus, I not only knew she was a great writer, but I knew she wasn't afraid to tell a killer story!

Published under the "Hard Case Crime" imprint, Peepland tells the story of New York City at the end of 1986 - back when Times Square was still filled with dirty bookstores, porn-film theaters, and live peepshows.  It's the underbelly of New York and the people who lived and worked there.  Faust takes us not just into the adult-side of things, but also into these girls' homes and their regular lives filed with heartache and misery.

Roxy, one of the performers, is the main characters - and her story begins when a regular customer bursts into her booth, hides a video tape on the inside of the cushioned chair, and tells Roxy to leave it there until he comes back for it.  Which, naturally, he never does, because he is killed by two goons who push him in front of an oncoming subway.  Roxy knows something is up, so she takes the tape and passes it on to her fellow co-worker and friend, Aiesha, to hide for her.  It goes without saying that this tape holds something very important - something worth killing for - and soon enough, Roxy and her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Nick, discovery what that something is - a murder, caught on tape!

While there's never any mystery as to who the killer is, the stakes are high in this roller coaster ride of a tale, with unexpected twists every time you turn around.  No one is exactly who they seem, and some people will do just about anything to cover-up the truth of the murder.  And when Aiesha's son, Lorenzo, is accused of the crime, Aiesha's girlfriend convinces her brothers to pull off a high-stakes robbery to get enough money for Aiesha to hire a lawyer to save her son.  Of course, there's also the witness to the crime, who comes forward to tell what she knows and ask the police for protection - problem is, the detective she asks happens to be on the payroll of the one man who wants this murder covered-up - at any cost!

Faust pulls absolutely no punches with this story, and there are several unexpected and rather heart-breaking deaths throughout the tale.  Just when you start to feel for these characters, when you think you know who will survive, who will not, BAM!  Faust gives readers a hard core, hard crime story that will leave you breathless, yet wanting for more.

And Andrea Camerini's art is so perfectly fitting for the story - the characters are harrowed and flawed, the backgrounds are dirty and shadowed, and you can literally feel the Times Square grit as the story flows from panel to panel.  Kudos to Titan Comics for selecting the perfectly fitted artist for this tale.

This is one story that I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND to anyone who enjoys a good noir detective / murder mystery tale - it's gripping, it's fast-paced, it's engaging, and it will keep you hoping then dash them all  up until that very last panel.  Because, just like real life, there is no happy ending in the world of Peepland.

RATING:  10 live nude peep shows out of 10 for giving readers a crime noir story that kicks you in the gut, but leaves you 100% satisfied.