The Good
This continues to be one of my favorite reads each month. Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming have given us a fascinating world. I think it's safe to say that most of us enjoy a good mob story. They've given us one with a few twists.
This isn't your typical America. As we're seeing in the occasional flashback, certain key events happened differently here. The mob has risen to power in the United States and there's not a lot the U.S. government can do. That's where our main character, Valentine Gallo, comes in. On the day he became a made man, he discovered his mom made a deal with the F.B.I. To make things worse for Valentine, upon his first menial mission, a U.S. Senator was killed and it appears to the government and other mob families that Valentine was responsible. This has put him and Jagger Rose, the female hired gun that was tasked to accompany him, on the run. Needless to say, we're getting plenty of good old fashion suspense, action, and shoot outs.
Michael Avon Oeming's art is almost mesmerizing. I find myself eager to turn each page to see what new details we'll discover while at the same time, you want to savor each and every page and panel. Each issue has had a variety of scenes varying from intense action to relatively calm conversations. Oeming's art captures the vibe and essence of each scene perfectly. It's getting to the point where I'm almost counting down the days to the next issue as soon as I finish the current one.
The Bad
No complaints from me. Each issue leaves me wanting more. We've seen plenty of mob stories but with Bendis and Oeming, we're getting one with a different feel.
The Verdict
THE UNITED STATES OF MURDER INC. has fast become one of my favorite ongoing titles. The team up of Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming is one we're familiar with and their take on the world of mobsters is full of action, intrigue, and suspense. Bendis keeps the action going while also fleshing out the backstory of this world while Oeming's art captures it all perfectly. The only downside is having to wait until the next issue when you reach the end.
8 Comments