Tweet
Released by: Image Comics Ltd.
Released on: February 19, 2014
Heist mastermind Jackson Winter has his hands full with his latest mission he's been dragged on, to Mexico, to rescue a lost girl. He's joined by Skinner and Nuki, the two Native Americans who seem to be family and related to the missing girl, and Trick, an amiable old fellow that seems to have been around every block more than once.
The story here opens on this group finding Taylor, a black market organ dealer, to see if he can get them to the Brotherhood of the Closed Book, a secret society that specializes in sex trafficking and where the missing girl, Nina, is. The group and Taylor argue a bit but he agrees to help them. Meanwhile, we're given a glimpse of the ghostly terror that's Jackson's companion, invisible to everyone else but him.
However, they're all soon beset by agents of the Brotherhood thanks to Taylor's duplicity. Things go from bad to worse as Nuki and Taylor both end up dead, with Skinner and Jackson in pursuit of those agents. Jackson gets waylaid by them, though, and close to being killed - but not in the way his ghost wants it to happen to him. So his ghost - Anderson - reveals her true violent nature, manifesting to butcher Jackson's assailants.
The rest of the group is soon re-joined and with the Brotherhood's secret location in hand, off to an ancient (and presumably haunted) Aztec temple. As he's the only white guy wearing a suit Jackson heads into the lair alone, passing himself off as just another rich, depraved guy. He's expecting a den of forcibly-drugged women but finds a dazzling display of beauties clearly not under the influence. He soon locates the gorgeous Nina and tries to get her alone and rescue her. But she is also not as she seems, manifesting her own demon and summoning the temple guards. As he's surrounded, Jackson makes a plea to Anderson who - this time - thinks this might be an appropriate death for him after all…
Joshua Williamson's script is well-paced, noir-ish and keeps Jackson identifiable and sympathetic. Davide Gianfelice's artwork is suited well to this title, giving detail to the violence and focusing on the main characters, keeping the others near-faceless or muted respectively. An entertaining if quick read, this title is a nice detraction from much of the current comic fare.
