|
QUEEN AND COUNTRY #4
Recommended (8/10)
|
Oni Press
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Steve Rolston
Editor: Jamie S. Rich
Price: $2.95 US/$4.50 CAN |
Rucka plays with an interesting theme in this issue, and it gets to the heart of one of the most painful of human realities: betrayal. This examination of the world of espionage has surprised me with its down-to-earth (and understandably downtrodden) characterization. The only thing about this series I find I'm not enjoying is the two-month wait between issues.
The Russians out to assassinate Tara Chace have been caught, and Paul Crocker, boss to Tara and the other "minders," is out for blood. He proposes an operation of a severe nature, which is promptly shot down by Weldon and other higher-ups in British intelligence. So Crocker turns to his ally in the CIA and his own people for help.
Rolston's art conveys action well, and he's developed strong individual designs for the various characters. But his most important contribution to the book is his depiction of Tara Chace. The toll that her job and more recent developments have taken on her comes shining through with crystal clarity. The woman is in the midst of falling apart completely, and Rolston shows us as much without going over the top.
Can you imagine what it would be like to have someone out there who wanted you dead? Can you imagine pulling a trigger and ending a life in an instant? Can you imagine ordering someone into a situation that would likely leave them dead? These ideas are so far removed from our everyday experience, but Rucka puts human faces to such scenarios, making them more real. The book's dark humanity stands out as its greatest strength.
The theme at play in this issue is breaking the rules. Crocker breaks a rule of his profession: becoming too emotionally attached to an agent. He tries to justify revenge, and when his superiors will have nothing of it, he breaks the rules again puts his plan into motion unofficially. Justice eludes him, though, when others break their rules for political reasons. It's no-win situation after another, and it makes for some somber but riveting reading.
Email Don MacPherson comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.
|
