Tyler Cross: Angola, written by Fabien Nury, with art by Bruno and colors by Laurence Crook, 2019; originally published in French in 2014.
To supplement their line of cutting edge crime novels, Hard Case Crime began publishing a series of graphic novels and comic books in 2017, some original and some reprinted from foreign sources. As with their novels, the Hard Case Crime graphic novels re amazingly varied and uniformly entertaining. I've read 22 of the (by my count) 34 graphic novels thus far published and am hoping to read the reminder this year.
Tyler Cross : Angola is a follow up to the earlier Tyler Cross: Black Rock, which Hard Case published the year before. Tyler Cross is a 1950s criminal for hire who would fit right in to a Quentin Tarantino movie -- tough, ruthless, unforgiving.
When what appeared to be an easy job goes wrong, Cross is caught and sent to the Louisiana State P:ententiary in Angola, a maximum security hellhole surrounded by swamp and infested with cruel and psychotic guards and corrupt and venal officials. To make matters worse, a price has been put on Tyler's head by the Sicilian mob, many of whose members are Tyler's fellow prisoners. Tyler survives beatings, torture, and attempts on his life, eventually making a desperate bid for freedom, but escaped prisoners are invariably caught and killed. Tyler has an additional purpose other than mere escape: those who betrayed him and set him up for arrest must pay. Any resemblance to Richard Stark's Parker not coincidental; the author acknowledges Parker an an importance influlence.
A violent, uncompromising graphic novel with effective, blocky artwork by "Bruno" (Bruno Thielleaux), which provides a pared-down cinematic feel to the story.
Nury is a popular French comic book artist and screenwriter, perhaps best known for his graphic novel The Death of Stalin. At least one further adventure of Tyler Cross has been published in France, taking the anti-hero to Miami. I'm hoping it will also be released in English by Hard Case Cri/me.
Recommended for those who like their comics dark and gritty.
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