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Cash & Carry
Who doesn't like a good mystery/thriller? You know, the kind of thing where you don't know where everything is going, where you're not sure who is the good guy and who is the bad guy (assuming they're even good and bad and not just various shades in between), where even a happy ending isn't going to seem all that happy? If that's you, you're in luck, as this is a damned near perfect graphic novel. Things start off with two couriers being told that they have to deliver a briefcase carrying a unspecified disk (kids, this is called a McGuffin, Hitchcock used it all the time). One of them has the disk in their case, the other is carrying nothing, as the people in charge are expecting someone to try and take the disk. The thing is, unknown to either of the couriers, there is nothing in either of their cases and the disk was actually delivered the previous week. The mysterious men in charge set the whole thing up to flush out a mole in their midst and decide to let the couriers continue when their cover is blown to see who reacts well under pressure. This is the only bone I have to pick with the story: it would have been a better reveal to have the cases end up empty at the end rather than know it all along. I think anyway, and I am the one rambling here, but the rest of the story is so good that I forgot that minor point by the time I finished the story. The main character, David Diangelo, has experience with this sort of thing, while the other courier, known as Duke, is pretty new to it all and mostly just wants to collect his fee. They find out quickly that they're being watched, as Duke is attacked at his airport (Midway) and rushes to David's airport (O'Hare) to warn him. I'm already in danger of saying too much, as nobody likes to have their mystery ruined, but the rest of the book is all about running, trying not to be tracked (and this includes using only cash and not touching their phones or the internet) and trying to figure out who is after them and why. OK, they end up learning that last part pretty early on, but all the nuances of who did what when and why remain mysteries right up until the end. In case it isn't crystal clear yet, I loved this book. The man can write and draw a mean thriller, and it's always at least mildly impressive to me when a graphic novel just demands to be read all at one sitting. Tim has a fair amount of samples up at his website, including what appears to be his latest graphic novel serialized online, so you can certainly do your research on his stuff for free. THEN you can buy this, as I'm sure the man would be happy if he made a tiny bit of money even with all the free samples. Check it out, it's the first thing in a while that reminds me of Stray Bullets in its heyday. $12.99
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