Over at Icomics, Greg McElhatton started a recent review by saying "The trick to a homage, really, is making sure it works without understanding the homage." That pretty much applies to Last of the Independents, which is an homage to a bunch of movies and TV shows made in the 70s that I'm familiar with but haven't seen, but which I enjoy despite my lack of familiarity with the source material. Fraction and Dwyer have created what looks like a dream action comic, with room for just about every kind of action you could want, including car chases, horse-riding, the mafia, a bank robbery, a plane and three likable-as-hell protagonists. And it's all in the widescreen format, naturally.
As I noted in my review of The Couriers, I'm a fan of the action movie genre. Though I haven't seen a lot of the ones made in the 70s, names like Sam Peckinpah and Sergio Leone and John Ford still resonate with me, and so Fraction and Dwyer are right on my common ground here. Cole is the epitome of the aging action-hero, an older man with plenty of wisdom who hasn't yet traded in all his physical ability to gain that wisdom. He's got guts and style to spare, and it's not hard to see why he commands such loyalty from all-around tough girl Justine and the simple-but-noble Billy. Though Fraction doesn't skimp on any of the characters, this is Cole's story, and within a couple pages of meeting the bastard, you'll want to hear it.
Fraction's script also just jumps right into the action. He introduces his characters and the bank robbery within the first four pages, and we're off to the races. You can occasionally see past the structure of the story to where Fraction might have said "Now how can I get a horse race in here?" but it doesn't matter because you'll be having such fun watching it all. It really does look like Fraction went down the ingredients list of his favorite action pics and then crafted a story designed to get it all in here. And yet, it never feels crowded or forced. Sure, I could have used a little more on why the three of them decided to rob the bank beyond the obvious reasons of wanting money, but overall Fraction sets up his characters and their history on the fly in the midst of tightly-paced and exciting action sequences laced with solid characterization.
The artist has to carry even more of the burden than usual in an action-based comic. If the artist can't deliver clear yet innovative storytelling, the whole thing is going to feel either stiff or confusing. Fortunately, Kieron Dwyer is more than up to the task, and it's clear that he is also treading on welcome ground with his work here. His characters have deep lines on their faces, indicating plenty of hard living, and his work on the explosions, the speed of the car chases or the gun fights shows an appreciation for violence reminiscent of Steve Dillon's work on Preacher. The sepia-tones of the work were a perfect choice as well, making Dwyer's detailed linework really stand out.
Those who have come off reading Preacher and are looking for something else which might fit those sensibilities should look no further than Last of the Independents. Those who grew up on The Rockford Files and spaghetti westerns also shouldn't pass this one up. And this is also for those who are just looking for a great action comic that keeps you turning pages until you reach the end. It's a shame we don't see more of Matt Fraction in comics, because everything he writes seems to be of a higher caliber than a lot of what's out there.
Also, just as a postscript: Here's an indication of why I hold AiT/Planet Lar in such high regard. Many of us love the widescreen printing format for comics, but have trouble figuring out a way to display it on comic shelves or store it at home. The folks at AiT/Planet Lar have given Last of the Independents a book jacket, a sleeve with cover art and back cover text that sits upright on the comic-book shelf. It's a simple and brilliant idea, and it's as much an indication of the innovative spirit alive at that company as the subject matter and great execution of Last of the Independents is.
