Released by: IDW Publishing
Released on: December 11, 2013
Slayground is the latest installment in IDW's continuing series of comic book adaptations of Parker stories. Created by author Richard Stark/Donald Westlake, the iconic character has had numerous incarnations in a variety of media since his inception in 1962.
In this story, Parker is part of an armored car heist that goes wrong initially when, on the snowy street, their driver crashes the getaway car. Parker is, naturally, the only one seemingly to survive but finding himself in a quiet part of the city with the cops bearing down, he has to hide out for a bit. Nearby is a an amusement park - Fun Island - that's shuttered for the season so he figures that's as perfect a spot as any. However, as he's jumping the fence with his large bag of cash, he catches the attention of a small group of criminals and dirty cops who just happen to be making a deal just up the street…
And, as it turns out, Lozini is the lone son of the city's major crime boss. So when the mobsters and crooked cops enter the park, trying to get Parker to give himself up, the trap gets sprung and they're forced to pursue him. However, he's a smart prey and soon two of them are dead by his hand, including Benito. Parker manages to escape their pursuit but finds himself exhausted and, after a struggle that ended in the freezing water paths in the park, fighting off hypothermia. He gets some new clothes from the gift shop along with some rest but, during that time, the old man Lozini has returned and he's not happy. He's brought even more thugs along with him and wants to capture Parker alive, to make him pay for what he did to his son.
Darwyn Cooke handles the story, artwork and even cover design duties here. It's clear he's a fan of the original novels and the character of Parker, rendering him with sharp, intersecting lines and the constant companion of shadows. Parker's not good but he's not bad, either, and Cooke really nails that in both his look and his version of the story in Slayground. The script elements get into Parker's head just enough so that he's not a psychopath or common thief but, rather, a conflicted survivor, a product of a cold, brutal, unrelenting world.
This edition is another excellent entry into this series and well worth picking up for fans of any level.