Is this brutal story worth owning?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

SOMETIMES ALL YOU CAN DO IS GO OUT WITH GUNS BLAZING…

In the noir tradition of Chandler and Spillane comes SUNSET, a two-fisted tale of revenge and redemption. On the surface, Nick Bellamy looks like any other veteran retiree left behind by a modern world. In reality, Nick is a former enforcer, who stole a fortune and years of freedom from his former mob boss. Now, in the twilight of his life, Nick will lose everything he cares about except two things: revenge… and the chance to die with his guns blazing.

Writer CHRISTOS GAGE (Avengers Academy, GI Joe: Cobra) and artist JORGE LUCAS (THE DARKNESS) promise to hit hard with Minotaur Press’s first original graphic novel that will make you forget all about your Prius and organic whole-grain trans-fat-free diet.

A 78 year-old man, who was once an enforcer in Las Vegas has been brought back into play after 30 years of self-imposed exile.  Sunset may be just another rendition of a revenge narrative, but it’s an extremely fun read that’ll keep you glued to the final panel.  From start to finish this book holds nothing back as our main character delivers punches and gunshots galore.

His reasons for leaving his old life behind to start a new one, and why he’s going through this bloody romp now, are the subjects of the expansive script by Christos Gage.  It’s quite a feat delivering a believably violent character that on one page takes out several henchmen and on another requires Viagra to have sex.  But that’s the kind of quirky sensibility contained in this story.  And it’s these types of nuances that succeed in properly fleshing out our murderous hero, Nick Bellamy.

Jorge Lucas handles the art in this book, and in classic noir style the panels are in black and white.  Each page is chock-full of mood, and a careful attention to detail that elevates the quality of this graphic novel.  I’ll be honest, there were times when the panels were rendered so well I stopped and stared for awhile.  The intricate line work and near photo realistic characters are simply stunning to behold, and for that reason alone this book is worth more than just a simple look.

For the asking price of $19.99, Sunset is a graphic novel that is more than worth the purchase.  It has flawed characters, a tough dame, a crooked police force, a trusty friend and just about any other trope from a noir film you’d be looking for.  If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, then this graphic novel comes recommended.

4/5