Gunning for Ramirez vol. 2 TP by Nicolas Petrimaux, published by Image Comics
Gunning for Ramirez came out in 2020 and made it on to my list of favorite comics of that year. I'm thrilled to see that vol. 2 is coming out this week, as I absolutely adored vol. 1. Here's what I had to say at the time:
There are always going to be some reliable entries on my year-end favorites (familiar names such as Jonathan Hickman, Matt Kindt, and Matt Fraction), but I'm happy that every year there are always a number of books that come along and just completely surprise me out of the blue. There have been a number of books like that this year, and one of the most delightful ones was Gunning for Ramirez. If you haven't heard of it (and you probably haven't), here's the pitch. Gunning for Ramirez is set in Arizona in 1987, and there is a mild-mannered employee at a vacuum company who is mistakenly (?) believed to actually be a legendary hitman for the Mexican cartel, by some cartel members who end up in Arizona. From there, all hell breaks loose. This story (first of 3 planned volumes) is an absolute blast. Nicolas Petrimaux is an incredible artist, with a fun, exaggerated style that never feels too "cartoony" for the story and totally conveys the reality of the situation (car-chases, shootouts, etc.). And the story is really fun from start to finish, as Petrimaux has very successfully captured the feel of a 1980's action movie. Fans of Lethal Weapon will feel right at home here. This is a great read.
I'm Still Alive HC by Roberto Saviano and Asaf Hanuka, published by Boom! Studios
Roberto Saviano is a serious Journalist (with a capital J) who wrote an incredibly powerful and explosive expose about the Italian Mafia called Gomorrah (made into a film). Since then e has lived under constant protection. I didn't know any of this but it sounds like a fascinating story and he sounds like a fascinating guy. He's collaborated with acclaimed cartoonist Asaf Hanuka (I read The Divine by Asaf and his brother Tomer, I recall it was excellent) to tell the story of his life and experiences. Having seen the preview pages, this looks like a fascinating, gorgeously told story, and one that you don't want to miss.
Deadly Class #56 by Rick Remender, Wes Craig, and Lee Loughridge, published by Image Comics
Deadly Class is coming to a conclusion this week. In some ways it feels like a comic from a different era (which I suppose it is, it started in 2014 or so), as it was part of what I think of as the glory days of Image Comics. It was, and remains a striking book, and one that's well worth your time. I recently wrote about it in writing about 30 of my favorite Image books, on their 30th anniversary:
Deadly Class is a period piece set (primarily) in late 1980s San Francisco, about teenage punks, rebels, criminals and misfits (all the most awesome people). It's a story about a teenager without hope getting a second chance (at a tremendous cost), as he's taken into a secret high school for training assassins (like Breakfast Club meets Fight Club). It's also one of the most honest, brutal explorations of depression, loneliness, and the anxieties and fears of being a teenager that I've read in a long time. Plus the art from Wes Craig (with colors by Lee Loughridge, and then Jordan Boyd) is staggeringly good. The layout, design, sequential storytelling, all of what Craig and Loughridge/Boyd do in this book will blow your mind (and not just the issues where the main character is high on acid). There are wild bizarro sequences, and colors that explode off of the page. This is a punk rock book, done at a virtuoso level.
Rogues #4 HC by Joshua Williamson and Leomacs, published by DC Comics
In large part I've really enjoyed the DC Black Label comics. It's a chance for them to tell darker, continuity-lite stories, often sent in future timelines. I have really loved Rogues which fits into this category. Joshua Williamson write The Flash for a long time and knows the character well, along with Flash's gallery of Rogues. This is a darker crime story which takes place ten years down the line, and Captain Cold has gotten the gang together for one last big score, in GORILLA CITY. That's a hook that will always get me. ONE LAST BIG SCORE. That makes for great storytelling. And it's been a really fun story so far, full of regrets, surprises, double-crosses, and all the sorts of fun and action you'd expectin a great heist story. Williamson's artistic partners are Leomacs (which did absolutely great work on Basketful of Heads) and colorist Mat Lopes (who was recently causing people's minds to explode with his colors in the amazing Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow). That's a fantastic creative team, and I'm excited to see how this story concludes.
