When I pre-ordered this title, the only things I knew about it were two names: Jimmy Palmiotti and Phil Noto. And that's all I needed to know. This book gets off to a slow start, dwelling on hard-boiled, noir, P.I. genre cliches. But once the real premise -- the social backdrop -- is revealed, things get much more interesting. Palmiotti has crafted a story here that crosses genres, and it does so quite well. Some multi-genre properties try to appeal to as many readers as possible but end up doing none of the genres it references justice and therefore fail to find an audience. This isn't one of those books. Fans of Y: The Last Man will enjoy this as much as Sin City readers, for example, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Los Angeles has become the new Western frontier, thanks to a terrorist cell that set off an electromagnetic pulse bomb a year ago, robbing the city of power, seemingly permanently. Those who survived stayed for the most poart, including ex-cop-turned-private eye Dan Wise. The reason he's an ex-cop is because of a kidnapping case that went south on him, and now, he's drawn into another kidnapping case, involving the same family.
Noto's work here isn't as airy as what we've seen from him in the past. Though not harsh, per se, his art on this title is a little harder in tone, and it suits the main character and the atmosphere for which the writing is striving. Noto's designs for the masked criminals are thoroughly creepy, and that make for a powerful impact on the reader when they're revealed. I also appreciated that he toned down the sexuality of Lindy Hirsh. He still maintains that she's attractive, but she's not the skin-revealing fluzie that her daughter is. I also loved how Noto uses color to bathe the daytime scenes in a warm West Coast glow.
I didn't care for the cliched opening scene, especially how Megan Hirsh allows her sexuality to completely define her. Palmiotti's emphasis on her sexual nature comes off as gratuitous, as does the nudity at which the art hints. If the relationship between Megan and Dan makes no sense to the latter character, how can the reader be expected to accept it and take it seriously? Fortunately, the mystery that unfolds later in the issue is fascinating.
Palmiotti's construction of a powerless society is well realized and thoroughly convincing. His ideas here show just how radically a city can change as a result of an unimaginable event such as this, but the writer also shows us how much would stay the same as well. Furthermore, the premise gives the reader cause to reflect on the things s/he might take for granted in the real world.
Despite the title, this series is more than a modern Western. It's a P.I. story and the story of a samurai warrior's quest to redeem himself, in its own way. And it's much more than that as well. Mike Hammer meets Mad Max in a world that's part Kill Bill and part Clint Eastwood spaghetti Western. 7/10
