EX-CON #1 Review


Is Ex-Con the kind of crime story that comic fans should be reading, or is it something to leave on the shelves? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

Dynamite is proud to present Ex-Con, the next book in a series of creator driven comics – with The Creators Unleashed, featuring all new concepts and characters from the industry’s best and brightest! This month, we present Ex-Con, written by Duane Swierczynski (Cable, Deadpool, Judge Dredd)! 1985: L.A. con artist Cody Pomeray had a gift for looking inside a mark’s soul with just a glance. But one fateful night, he targeted the wrong man — and was sentenced to the most savage prison in California. Pomeray would have been beaten to death on his first day if not for the intervention of Barnaby Creed, the most powerful crime lord in the Southland…

1989: Now Pomeray’s out on parole, robbed of his special ability and tasked with doing Creed “a little favor.” He has no idea he’s just stepped into a long con, and this time, *he’s* the mark…

ExCon0103The crime genre is one that works very mysteriously in comics, as when done right you can bet your last dollar that you’ll be thrilled throughout, but when done wrong you’ll be left more disappointed than when you’re favourite team loses a big game. Luckily however Ex-Con, the latest in Dynamite’s Creators Unleashed line proves to fall under the former category, being very unique and extremely enticing.

Former Cable and current Judge Dredd (IDW) writer Duane Swierczynski is the mastermind behind this thrilling tale, with the seasoned crime writer proving why he excels in this genre. Delivering an uniquely clever concept, Swierczynski introduces us to the world of Cody Pomeray, a con with a special ability that allows him to tell what a person is feeling. This unique twist, along with the gritty crime setting makes Ex-Con a thoroughly exciting tale, that will have any crime fan hooked to their seat.

On first glance Keith Burns‘ art fails to impress, with his rough art lacking detail. The former The Shadow/Green Hornet: Dark Nights artist does however make up for this with his fabulous layouts, and character positioning, giving an intense flow to this gritty tale. He also gives some great texture, with the more darker sequences really capturing the tone of this tale. Additionally Aikau Oliva gives us solid colours, with his palette giving a deeper tone to Burns’ art. Rounding off the art team, we get a magnificent cover from Tim Bradstreet, with the former Punisher cover artist giving a image that lures you into this tale.

Ex-Con is the kind of crime story that comic fans need, with the unique concept making it all the more intriguing. Highly recommended.

OUR RATING
9
  • + A unique concept in a classic genre.
  • + Duane Swierczynski's script has me hooked for more.
  • + Cover artist Tim Bradstreet will lure you into this tale.
  • - Keith Burns' art is a little too rough, lacking in detail.

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