Ten Grand #12 Review

Does this arc finisher represent a success or failure? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

Issue twelve signals the emotional conclusion of the first title from Joe’s Comics: the latest war between Heaven and Hell is over, for now, with casualties as far as the stars themselves. But Laura’s fate is still to be resolved. When Joe makes a life-or-death request of the Powers, a favor beyond anything he could have imagined, will they consent…and lift the veil between life and death one last time?

This is one compelling piece of fiction. For me Ten Grand started off as a retread of familiar players and themes, but along the way the creative team delivered the right amount of personality and unique circumstances to make something memorable. And with a well structured ending to boot I can report that this one goes out the right way.

J. Michael Straczynski leads our former Mob Enforcer toward his own final acts of retribution. The author from the first issue to this very outing has kept a keen eye on what the conclusion of all this  needed to be for both Joe Fitzgerald, as our primary protagonist, and his audience. Within that framework our former bad guy turned mostly good delivered his brand of justice to the ones that started this, as the scribe effortlessly charts a well paced and moving course.

The works of C.P. Smith flow exceptionally well with the world at play. Each interaction, be it with an angel or human, comes packed with unique angles that deliver a quirky reality befitting realms beyond our own. And when Matthew Dow Smith jumps in to handle the real world the transition is jarring but in all the right ways. Beyond the renditions we have excellent color work by Blond that cements the look of the book.

Ten Grand #12 plays itself off as the rest of the series has been: a unique experience. Sure it danced the line with familiar genre tropes but in the end the creative team delivered something special. And for that reason this comes recommended.