Radiant Comics

I’m back from the comic shop this week and I got two new comics plus a hard cover graphic novel:

And now for a review of something I’ve read recently.

According to the book jacket this is a comic book adaptation of a movie. Except that the movie is fictional. One of Gilbert’s characters who has appeared in his comic “Love and Rockets” is named “Fritz” and part of her L&R backstory is that she was a movie actress. This is the second of two graphic novels adapting her fictional movies. There is a third volume planned.

All of that book jacket back story is unnecessary as the book stands on it’s own as a story. You could pick this up never having read a L&R story and be completely at home with what was going on.

“The Troublemakers” is the story of four con-men. Or con-people since two of them are women. The tale is straightforward in it’s telling but the plot is not at all straightforward. There are short cons and long cons going on throughout the book and the reader is kept guessing as to who is on who’s side.

Gilbert Hernandez has never disappointed me and he doesn’t start here. He is an “A” level talent who can tell a story with subtlety and style. His art has a range of expressiveness that is not typical of many comic book artists. His drawings really sell a characters expression.

I don’t know what else to say about “The Troublemakers”. It’s good. Gilbert Hernandez is good. If you’re not buying his work you’re missing out. Give it a read.