I'm a cynic. I enjoy my life and have a certain sense of optimism, I'm also a suspicious person... especially when it comes to politics. Rucka delivers a view of politics and business that drips with cynicism, and reinforcing that dark mood is a natural progression in the book's main subplot. And if that weren't enough to suck readers in, we're presented with another new artist for this new story arc, and the visual variety -- and strength -- is a welcome element.
The French government is looking to keep a major technology corporation operating within its borders instead of taking its expertise and jobs to the United Kingdom, so they decide to manipulate the company's CEO through his family. Meanwhile, Tara and Ed's relationship is heating up, and it's on the verge of getting noticed by the wrong people, so Tom, the senior Minder and acting chief in Paul Crocker's absence, takes Tara aside for a chat.
I have the advantage of being able to understand all of the dialogue in the first three pages... 12 years of French immersion schooling will do that for you. But the wonderful thing is that one need not understand French in order to grasp the significance of the scene. Jason Alexander -- I'd make a joke about George Costanza from Seinfeld, but I'm sure he's tired of them -- does an amazing job of conveying the feelings behind the two young lovers' words. His gritty style -- which reminds me of the works of Bill Sienkiewicz and Kent Williams -- suits the dark atmosphere of this espionage book quite well.
There's a sharp and rich contrast to be found in this issue. The first few pages, despite the carnal scene they depict, boast a real purity. These two people share an experience that most of us can relate to, and just about everyone yearns for. But the closing pages of this issue -- the other side of the story -- focus on cynicism, greed and manipulation. Since one is able to easier relate to the victims here, the reader is spurred on to be even more outraged at the blackmailing antagonists, moreso than even the callous and murderous baddies in previous story arcs. Before, Rucka played with fear, but here, he instigates anger and a sense of violation.
This plot is both emotionally charged but cold and calculating all at once, and it makes for a surprisingly riveting read. This book is not only a consistently fascinating and entertaining experience in every issue, but it serves to introduce comics readers to new or relatively unknown artistic talents that deserve the spotlight.
