There's not much new going on in this book. I've read and seen stories like this one before. Corrupt cop, change of heart, need for revenge... I've seen similar elements before. Nevertheless, Romita and Brunswick do an excellent job of bringing this dark characters to life, and they bring an edgy quality to the book without resorting to gratuitous language or over-the-top violence. Deathwish meets Ghost in this entertaining mix of crime drama and the supernatural. The greatest strength of the book, not surprisingly, is the artwork. Romita has been a mainstay of the industry since the 1980s, and he long ago emerged from his father's shadow. Now, he finally emerges from behind the iconic super-hero characters he's illustrated for so long to offer up his own creation. And it's about time.
Rudy Chance lives two lives, exists in two different worlds. He's a cop, a fiercely successful one, but he's also a criminal, using his connections to earn some extra cash on the side by striking deals with the men he's supposed to treat as the enemy. The dangerous choices he makes come back to haunt him when he loses something incredibly precious in his life. Now, he's out for revenge, and his partner, a cop who's on the straight and narrow, just can't turn his back on a friend in need and joins Chance on what he thinks is a late-night raid.
Romita grants the main character a Pacino-esque look that reinforces his dynamic and dark qualities. The gray suit design works quite well with the supernatural elements that enter into the story later on. The gritty quality in Romita and Janson's collaboration is perfect for this journey through New York's underworld. Romita loosens up his pencils for the eerie premise that emerges at the end of the issue, and that fluid approach really brings out the weirdness of what the main character is faced with. The colors add a lot of depth to the story as well.
Rudy Chance is all about getting what he wants. He doesn't just give in to temptation... he's a slave to temptation. It's a flaw that just about everyone can relate to. Almost none of us would ever consider sliding into the amoral abyss in which Rudy finds himself, but we can understand why. That common ground, along with the confidence the character exudes, makes him a thoroughly fascinating figure. Rudy isn't really likeable, but he is an impressive personality.
Glen Brunswick offers up a thoroughly effective script. He takes us into the dark underbelly of New York with some convincing dialogue, and it wasn't until after I read the issue that I realized that the edgier nature of the script had nothing to do with profanity. Brunswick's script is surprisingly clean, and given that this is an Image book, it could have been as crude and genuine as he wanted. The smooth flow of the dialogue and the visual reactions Romita comes up with for the characters bring this dark drama to life.
