QUEEN & COUNTRY #11 (Best of the Week!)
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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Oni Press
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Leandro Fernandez
Letters: John Dranksi
Editors: Jamie S. Rich & James Lucas Jones
Price: $2.95 US/$4.50 CAN |
Imagine a job in which you faced the tedium of politics and red tape at every turn, despite the crucial nature of your work. And then imagine a job in which you are forced to place people who truly care about not just in danger, but right in the line of fire. And then imagine both of those jobs being one and the same. The frustration would be unimaginable, Rucka explores just such a job and the kind of man it takes to carry it out.
Tara finds herself cut off from her source of information on a possible chemical-weapon attack on British soil, and without more information, the Minders' boss, Paul Crocker, finds his hands tied when it comes to preventing a catastrophe. He can think of only one thing to do: to lure those suspected of involvement in the plot out into the open, and his own people must serve as bait.
There have been a number of folks who have been vocal in their opposition to Leandro Fernandez's sexy portrayal of Tara Chace. They'll be pleased with what they find here, though I'm not sure toning down that side of Tara was necessary, given how her sexual identity is an important of the storytelling in this arc. This issue struck me as being particularly dark and cinematic, and that reinforced the building tension in Rucka's script. That's an impressive trick, given that this issue consists pretty much of talking heads, as opposed to last month's more action-filled chapter.
In previous issues, the connection between Ed and Tara was heartening. Sure, they and the reader knew the relationship was a bad idea, but it's still pleasing to see two strong and likable characters come together like that. Here, though, the dangers in such a relationship loom over the characters and add further tension to an already tense plot. It doesn't feel at all like there's a happy ending (or endings) waiting around the next corner.
It would be easy to hate Paul Crocker. he's a dark soul with an ugly -- but vital -- job. He's stubborn and determined to make things happen the way he wants, and he's willing to make huge sacrifices of those beneath him to do it. Yes, it would be easy to hate Paul Crocker... if he weren't honest with Tara and the others. They know the score, and that makes Crocker's decision easier to accept.
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