Warren Ellis always has something of relevance to say, a nugget or two of wisdom to pass along to his readership. The message is pretty clear here, and it's this: "Oh, don't be so fucking naive." He takes us inside the other war that's crippling America, and it's the war within the country's own intelligence and law-enforcement communities. The title character of this new series is one that's unconcerned with politics or policies. He favors what's right over rights. And he knows that as unpleasant as it may be, sometimes, the ends justify the means. Ellis's new hero is surprisingly down to earth, though, and making Jack Cross a somewhat different kind of Ellis protagonist. In a time when discussions about terrorism are as common as clouds, Ellis examines the concept from a broadr perspective, going far beyond the limited Islamic face most of the Western world places on terrorism at the moment.
The world is full of terrorists. They have dark skin and white skin and oppose capitalism, Western ways of life, daytime TV, crime and God knows what else. They're everywhere, and when they're on the cusp of doing something dangerous on American soil, the Department of Homeland Security's various law-enforcement agencies are meant descend down on them like lightning from above. But in one such case, something has gone horribly wrong, and the one man with answers isn't talking. The National Security Council calls in a specialist to handle the interrogation, and when Jack Cross gets involved, it ain't going to be pretty.
Erskine's style certainly suits the edgy, intense qualities of the characters. They seem grizzled and practically indestructible in the way they carry themselves, making it all the more effective when we see them fall apart. His figures are a bit stiff, though, and given the emphasis on action and movement in the opening scene, that stiffness is a little unfortunate. But it never threatens the clarity of the storytelling either.
I love the notion of a die-hard leftist protestor dude such as Cross moonlighting as a tool of right-wing law-enforcement. His job is to violate the rights he fights to protect as a protester. It's a wonderful contradiction, but it's really just an extension of the everyday. How many of us are immersed in jobs that drive us crazy, that require us to perform tasks that irk or even offend us a little?
Where this issue shines the most is in its final scene, in which we get to know a different side of the title character. As soon as we meet him, Jack is a typically uber-cool, tough-as-nails and smarter-than-the-average-bear Ellis hero. There's nothing he can't handle, and others are in awe of his unflinching, gritty attitude. And it's a facade. In a simple, silent scene, we learn that Jack is as human as the rest of us. It's a powerful moment that brings a much-needed element of balance to the book and demonstrates that the real conflict has nothing to do with a missing nuclear device or a rogue, traitorous movement within the U.S. government. 9/10
