When Orson Randall was introduced in the pages of the Immortal Iron Fist, I was immediately in love.  Here was a guy that used guns and was a kung fu master.  He is Jackie Chan mixed with John McClane with the substance abuse habits of Charlie Sheen.  There’s no way you couldn’t like this guy.  His first few forays into solo territory resulted in a mixed response from yours truly.  While the Annual that featured his band of rogues causing trouble while fixing was tons of fun, his battle with misty villain left me yawning.  So, it was with some trepidation that I picked up this issue, but damn, am I glad I did.

Swierczynski was a well known mystery writer before moving into comics, and this issue proves it.  It oozes noir from every corner and every crevice, from the first person narrative that drives the story to all of the death and despair that follows.  Orson leaves a trail of bodies behind him as he drives toward figuring out the mystery behind an old friend’s missing daughter and a strange obsession that befalls him around certain women.  The feels like it lives in 1928 LA.  It’s dark and violent with hints of treachery in every panel.  It’s filled with violence and loss, and in the end, like any good noir, you’re left wondering if anyone ever really won or lost.  Seeing Orson Randall in this light makes his character all the more interesting, and really, it’s a sensational example of how you can tie a super hero driven story into the noir genre.

The art is really excellent in this issue.  It’s paced well and draws the readers eyes to subtle things.  Character faces are prominent and convey the emotion and thoughts of these characters as they try to slyly outwit each other.  Things are framed in a specific way without being too stale.  And the action flows organically and is shown in a way that makes the reader excited.  It’s just excellently crafted, and I wish that Camucoli was drawing the monthly issue.  In  a way, I think this is the look that Travis Foreman is trying to go for with his monthly pencils.

Fans of noir or the character own it to themselves to pick this up.  It’s a ton of fun and great little taste of noir in this mystic and superhero filled universe.  My only hope is that Swierczynski can come up with more stories like this because I would love to read them.