The story, about two guys orbiting around a girl and spiraling into a vortex of crime, is classically rooted but fresh in the telling. Broken into three chapters–an origin story that begins in 1966 is book-ended on either side by “present-day” action, set in 1989– the book’s two artists present very distinct treatments for each section. Marc Sandroni evokes the 4CP “dotted paper” style of the old crime comics to pretty good effect, and Ed LaRoche (on the 1989 bookends), has a cool Eduardo-Risso color palette complementing a loose, thin-line sketch approach.

With action taking place over multiple decades (and with the most “recent” action taking place nearly 25 years ago), there is a sense of deep foundation-building, here. The issue ends with a bang, and I’m certainly looking forward to seeing where the characters are going after the events in the final pages.

If there’s criticism, it’s that the who’s and why’s get a little tangled during the action at the end of the issue, when multiple names and faces are dropped into a prison break (though I’m sure it’s nothing a more aggressive second read won’t cure). And there are a couple of words missing from the word balloons (and not just the intentional omissions from the Russian’s dialogue). These are far from show-stoppers.

Gorgeously printed violent noir. High-quality paper. Awesome cover. 36 pages!!! A lot of bang for $3.99.