For those of us who have been reading this series from the start, it comes as no surprise that it's earned some attention from the Eisner award judges. Though regular artist Michael Lark has been sorely missed in the past few issues, fill-in artist Greg Scott finally wins me over this month, and it makes for another great issue. Rucka's script combines a compelling personal drama with the intelligence and fun of a mystery being solved. The line art and colors reinforce the maturity and tension that are estbalished in the script while Rucka brings yet another cast member to life in vivid detail, defining him by a dark secret he thought he'd left behind.
Detective Vincent Del Arrazio and his partner, Detective Joely Bartlett, are just backing up the lead investigators into a couple of mysterious poisoning deaths at a Gotham pharmaceutical company. Del Arrazio decides to take a more active role in the investigation, though, when he learns of a possible connection to organized crime. The problem is that he can't tell his colleagues in the Major Crimes Unit, as it would mean revealing his own familial connections to the underworld.
Scott's figures here are still occasionally stiff and sketchy in appearance, but overall, a photorealistic tone, reminiscent of Brian Michael Bendis's early works, such as Jinx and Goldfish, really drives home a believable feel in the story. I like that Vincent isn't a typical male comic-book character. He's not really a good-looking guy. There's a weathered look to him and his hairline is not an enviable one, for example. The colors add an eerie and unsettling quality to the visual side of the book, one that's in keeping with the ugly side of crime genre storytelling.
The focus here is clearly on Vincent, but Rucka takes a few moments to hint at the life that Joely Bartlett lives when she's not on the job. The script aludes to a conflict between her and her wealthy parents, and it's the sort of thing one can easily relate to with her character. The scene in which she examines the murder victims' workspaces is a fantastic one. It demonstrates the character's patience and intellect.
Vincent Del Arrazio clearly loves his work as a detective, and he's determined to do a god job. That's why he's trying to hide his blood connections to criminals. He's cursed by something beyond his control, and it makes him a tragic figure. At the same time, though, his efforts to keep secrets from his colleagues, even his partner, doesn't cast him in the most flattering light. He's flawed, and that humanizes him further. I also enjoyed the understated way Rucka incorporates the Huntress into the story. She doesn't appear in her capacity as a super-hero, but as someone who also shares a shameful connection to the mob. The costume has nothing to do with her role here.
